Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-08-12

across the stable and went through
that door there leading into the ele-
phant house. i thought l saw q
couple of rats running ahead Of him.
and To this day l believe he went into
the elephant house in chase OF them.
There is no doubt In my mind that
when the rats found themselves Gagged
by the iine-meshcd wire net which ran
all around Pedro's den they punched
themselves in the weak corner and
began gnawing their way out Their
presence irritatcd the lion. After he
had stood 1t US long as possible-long
enough to enable them to thoroughly
weaken the fastenings of several bars
he made spring AT them, and in so
doing unexpectedly crushed out the
corner Of the cage, releasing himself
and them.
There was no need TO rouse the
boys. The unusual thunderous roars
had done that-no man in the place
having heard such roars since the fire
in ls74-and presently lights began to
twinkle all over the stables. The ele-
plants were trumpeting and straining
ut their chains; the tigers were snarl-
ing. monkeys chattering, and altogether
the place was pandemonium; but the
greatest noise came from the throat of
u little gray jackass stabbed along with
the elephants He had good cause to
bray. When we swung our lanterns IN
at the door of the elephant house,
Pedro was crouched with his belly on
the sawdust his tail swinging slowly
from right to left. devouring the little
jackaSs with his eyes. He paid no al
tention to us. but made his spring. car
rying the poor ass to the ground with
n torn throat and shoulder literally
stripped of flesh.
"Now was our chance. / slipped in
like snake. ready to lasso him while
he licked the ass blood.
"Look out" yelled three or four
voices, and jumped aside just in time
to get out OF Leanders way. The biz
elephant had broken the chains that
tied him to the ground and was run
ming toward Pedro with his trunk
raised in a double curve. l always
knew that Leandcr was game, but l
had no idea ho would attack such a foe
as Pedro.
" He bore straight down on him, all
the same, and tell YOU it was sight
for gods and men to see those big
brutes coming together in the SEMI
darkness Of that little shed.
"With his jaws and forefect drip
ping with blood, Pedro had turned to
NEE, the other. and made n jump just
as Leandcr's trunk came down. He
was too late. The trunk wrapped about
his body like snake and actually
whirled him through the door back into
his own stable. Although he weighed
eight hundred pounds he went rs cat
would 20 il swung by the tail around
a mans head and suddenly released.
/ gave him up for gone, but luckily for
himself and us he landed on the hay
that had been thrown down from the
loft ready for the camels' breakfast.
Like n cat he gathered himself up, and
with his tail between his legs raced
back to his den. and slipping in at the
hole made earlier in the fight, curlcd
down in . far corner-a picture OF
fright
1--WE soon had the injured corner
barred so that he could not reach it.
and the next morning transferred him
to another den, while his own was re-
paired as you see.
"0h, Yes, these little things are con.
stantly happening with us. Wild beasts
are not tanned and trained without a
degree of danger even greater than is
generally supposed. But that was
lively night. often laugh when
think of the curious train Of circum-
stances set in motion by the rat-killing
of little black terrier
the escape Of lion, the death Of
jackass, the righteous wrath of Lean
der. and the lion sneaking back to his
cage like u whipped cur. "-Detroa
Free Press.