The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-03-14


in the middle of great open space,
about three hundred yards away from
us. They seemed to be very wary--so
that 1t was no use thinking of trying to
get any nearer to them.
"Holbeck, who wore spectacles then
Just as he does to-day, could not have
hit mark fifty PAGES of. So had to
take the chance myself. went on my
knees, took long, long aim and fired.
To our great joy one of the antelopes
made tremendous leap into the air
and fell dead on the ground, while the
others ran away. AS l had only q
single barrelcd gun Icould not attempt
another shot.
"But we were very we'll satisfied; the
antelope was big as calf. and quite
enough to fill the void in our meat
supply. We proceeded to cut him up,
and finding it impossible to take the
whole away with us we selected three
fine pieces as big as we could conven-
iently carry. Holbeck and l each
took piece, which we fastened on our
shoulders, and the negro who accom-
panied us took the other.
''As the evening was advancing, we
started for our camp as fast as was
possible, considering the weight of our
burdens. We had already made half
the distance when all of sudden,
while we were traversing thicket we
heard, right close beside us, most
awful roar.
.At last we have got to the lion"
cried the audience.
~ L. ka ill., - al 20
barous' with his customary phlegm;
''and l would like to have seen you in
my place When first noticed the
lion he was only ten steps away from
me, and in the very middle of the path;
and assure you that the sight of him
did not make me laugh; for L immedi-
ately remembered having been silly
enough not to reload my gun. But l
did not have much time TO mediate.
Holbeck. who was behind me, fired his
gun ut the lion. who Immediately leap
ed ut me with terrible roar, and felled
me TO the earth.
Just as fell caught glimpse of
Holbeck and the negro, running away
As fast rs their legs could carry them,
and then lost all consciousness.
MY brave comrade knows that
never bore him any grudge for thus
abandoning me. He really thought 1
was already dead, and he could not
have done anything to save me.
How long remained scnseless
do not know; but gradually found my
self coming back to life. At first l had
only very vague idea OF what had
happened TO me, and / made painful!
effort to rise-when deep growl came
in answer to the movement-and l felt
myself nailed to the ground by an
enormous weight. The lion was lying
upon me.
every limb; but that was nothing to
what felt when found that the fero-
cious brute was actually eating me
alive. | heard my own bones crack
ling in his mighty jaws, and 1 felt,
NEVERTHELESS strange phenomenon!
Il did not suffer; felt no pain-noth-
ing but horrible sense of weight and
oppression. Then l remembered hav-
ing read or heard somewhere that men
or animals in the clutches of beasts of
prey are subject TO peculiar and
providential species of torpor, which
exempts them from all sense of pain.
..But if / did not feel the hideous
rending of my flesh by the teeth of the
beast, still my brain was tortured by
such unutterable fear that l tainted
away again.
when L came to it was black night;
and there was q ring of negroes stand
ing round me with torches in their
hands. On first opening my eyes, and
seeing their grimacing black faces,
lighted up by flames, Ibegan to think
was in hell--or at least in purgatory;
for did not remember having ever
done anything very wicked. But after
second or two saw the good-natured
face of Holbeck, who was bending over
me, and crying like q child: % my
poor Barbarous! my poor Barbar-
ousr Then tried to get up; and
what was my surprise to find that 1
could do SO without any difficulty!
Once on my feet i began to feel my
arms, my head, my chest, my legs
well, they were all intact! l had only
a few scratches--no serious wound at
all"
"What sort of q yarn do you call
that, Barbarous? You must have been
dreaming. and that lion simply knock
ed You out of his way and went BY"
That's where You make big mis-
take,' returned Barbarous. Every
thing happened exactly as | told you;
so that when Holbeck returned from
the camp to look for remains he actu-
ally saw the lion eating me as fast rs
he could. The brute only left me
when he saw the torches approach
ing"
Sand what clse?' asked the sailors
hearers, quite nonplussed at this new
affirmation.
"Why the things rs plain as the nose
on ones face said Barbarous, in n
modest sort OF voice. when / was
knocked down had fallen on my face;
and the lion imagined he was really
eating me, when he was only eating n
splendid quarter of antelope meat /
had tied on my back"
A storm of applause greeted this I'M
expected conclusion; and all present