Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-06-12

The great pleasure of his life was to
steal behind people and secretly bite their
legs.
"By some mysterious affinity, he
and Marengo were friends from the very
first. They now sleep under the same
tree.
"Well. we started, and after going
over good deal of ground, | thought |
had decided on location, and turned
my face homeward. My direction was
by Alma, to strike the great road that
runs under the Atlas eastward into Con-
stantine.
1t was about eight o'clock one morn
ing, when had beer some two hours in
the saddle, that l emerged from a narrow
valley or ravine, through which the road
ran, on to sandy plain dotted with
bushes and scrub.
81 had just laid the reins on Maren-
go's neck, when suddenly he gave a
tremendous shy that pitched me clean
off.
The next minute, with most hor-
rible roar, lion sprang right at his
head.
81 thought sure he was on the top OF
him, and so he would have been, but, as
Marengo wheeled short around like light
ming on his hind legs, the streaming reins
caught the brute's forepaw, and as it
were, tipped him, SO that he fell side
ways on the road.
The heavy jerk nearly brought the
horse down, but the throat-latch broke.
the bride was pulled over his ears, and
recovering himself, he darted away
among grove of trees that stood by the
wayside.
$50 intent was the lion on the horse
that he paid no attention to me lying de-
fenceless before him.
Crawling swiftly along the ground,
he pursued Marengo, whom | gave up
for lost--for his chances against the
1.-THE brute among the trees seemed hope
less.
a" However, as luck would have it,
there was an open space about dozen
yards across. In the centre of this,
Marengo took his stand, with his tail
toward the lion, and his head turned
sharply back over his shoulder, watching
him.
" He stood quite still, except for the
slight shifting of the hind feet and lift
ing of his hind-quarters, which l knew
meant mischief.
The lion probably thought 50, too
for he kept dodging to try and take his
opportunity by flank movement. But
the old horse knew his game, and piy-
oting on his fore-legs still brought his
stern guns to bear on the enemy.
" Soon, with roar, the lion made his
spring, but Marengo lashed out both
heels together with such excellent judg-
ment of time and distance that, ca tchiDg
him full on the chest, he knockec, him
all of heap to the ground, where he lay
motionless. Then with neigh o. tri-
umph aud a flourish of his heels, he gal
iOped through the grove out on to the
plain, and was safe.
The lion lay so still that l thought
he was dead, or at any rate quite hOrs
du combat, and was just running to pick
up the bride and follow Mar engo, when
he sat up on his launches. This made
me stop.
GAS he sat there with bis heal loose
ly wagging from side to side, anil mouth
half open, he looked quite vac ant and
idiotic.
Suddenly his head stopped wagging,
he pricked his ears, and by the flash of
his eyes and changed expression, knew
he had seen me.
"Only one thing was to- be done,
and | did it. The outermost tree was
large and low-branched. To ii | ran,
and up it scrambled, and had just
perched in a fork about fifteen! feet above
terra frma, as the lion arri we'd at the
bottom.
Looking up at me with two red hot
Goals for eyes, his long, ner vous tail LASH
ing his sides, every hair on his body
turned to wire, and his great claws pro-
truded, he chartered at me as a cat
chatters at bird out of reach. His
jaws snapped like steel trap, and his
look was perfectly diabolical. When he
was tired of chatt.ering, he stood and
growled.
Catching sight of the bride, he
walked to it, snlelled it, patted it, and
then came back and lay down and glared
at me.
MY carbine - confound it.-was
slung at my saddle. My only weapon,