Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-10-08
IutervIew with q Lion.

! The adventure of which am going
to tell you, happened TO me agood many
years ago says correspondent. 1t wa:
my first serious interview with lion.
There were three of us, sworn comrades
| rs ever were.
| First, there was your humble ser.
want; secondly, there was my horse
MarengO, and a better never looked
through bride. Thirdly, there was
Cognac, the faithfulest the most honest,
the oldest and the wIckedest little dog
the world ever saw. 1t was about eight
O'Clock one morning, when / had been
Some two hours in the saddle, that |
| came out from a narrow valley, or ra-
vine, through which the road ran, on
to sandy plain, dotted with bushes
and scrub. l had just laid the reins on
Marengo's neck, when suddenly he
gave tremendous shy that pitched me
| Clean of. The next minute, with a
terrible roar, a lion sprang right at his
head.
made sure he was on the top of
him, and so he would have been, but,
as Marengo wheeled short around like
lightning on his hind legs, the stream
ing reins caught the brute's forepaw,
and as it were, tripped him, so that he
fell sideways on the road. The heavy
jerk nearly brought the horse down,
but the throat-lash broke, the bride
was pulled over his ears, and, recover
ing himself, he darted away into 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 his feet and lifting Of his quarters,
which l knew meant mischief. The
lion probably thought so too for he kept
lodging to try and take his opponent
by flank movement. Soon, with a
roar, the lion made his spring, bit
Marengo lashed out both heels together,
with such excellent judgement of time
and distance that. catching him full in
the chest he knocked him, all of heap
to the ground, where he lay motionless.
Then, with a neigh Of triumph and a
flourish of his heels away he galloped
through the grove out on the plain, and
was safe. The lion lay so still that |
thought he was dead, or nearly so, and
was Just running to pick up the bride
and follow Marengo, when he sat up on
his launches. As he sat there with his
head loosely wagging from side to side,
and mouth half open, he looked quite
vacant and idiotic. Suddenly his head
stopped wagging, he pricked up his
ears, and by the flash of his eye and
changed expression, knew he had seen
Inc. Only one thing was to be done,
and did it. The outermost tree was
large and low-branched. To il / ran,
and up it l scrambled, and had Just
peIched IN a fork about fifteen feet
above the ground as the lion arrived at
the bottom.
My carbine was slung at my saddle.
My only weapon beside, my hanger, was
a pocket pistol, double barelled, and
what IN those days We called breech.
loaher-that is the barrels unscrewed
to load, and then screwed up ag iin.
1t would have been a handy weapon
against man at close quarters for it
threw good ball; but for lioni Be-
side, the beast was too far off.
Then the thought flashed into my
mind, where was Cognac? 1 supposed
he had run away and hidden somewhere.
If the lion got sight of him, it would, |
knew, be soon all over with the poor
little fellow.
All at once there arose close at hand,
an awful and familiar yell. 1t had a
strange, mufiled tone, but there was no
mistaking COgnac's voice. Again it
came, resonant, lOng-drawn and sepul-
chral. 1t seemed to come from inside
the tree. Where the deuce was he?
The lion appeared utterly astOnished
and turned his ears so far back to listen
that they were almost inside out, when
from some hole among the roots of the
trees there popped small head with
long ears.
Down, down, Cognae!' L cried in
my agony. Go back, sirl'
A cry of delight cut short by pite-
GUS whine, was his reply, Is he spied
me; and then, dashing fully yard to-
ward the lion, he barked loudly and
defiantly. With a low growl and
ruflling name, the ferociOus beast
charged fercely at my poor little
COgnac.
Back went Cognac into the cave as
quick as rabbit, and stormed at him
from the inside. Thrusting his great
paw right down the hole, the lion tried
to claw him out. Oh, how | trembled
for Cognac! But he kept up such a
ceas eless fire of swapping and snarlin'
that it was plain he was
either well round corner, or that the
hole was deep enough for his safety.
All the same TO see the great coward
ly beast digging away at my poor little
dog ike that was more than L could
stand. Cooking my pistol, l shouted,
and as he looked up fired at his blood
shot eyes. He shook his head and |
gave hiHI the other barrel. With a
scream of rage, he bounded back. Ceg-
nae Immediately shot forth his head,
and insulted him with jeering barks. !
But he was not to be drawn again, and
after bit he lay down further off, and
pretended to go to sleep. Cognac
barked at HIM till he was tired, and |
then retired into his castle. Reloading
l found had only three bullets left, |
and concluded to reserve them for a !
crisis.
1t was now past noon. To beguile |
the time l smoked pipe or two, sang a
song and cut my name, Cognac's and |
on the tree, leaving a space |
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