Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-06-24

Eow % use fssas ern phrase, | was
in for the fgk Clubbing my rifle,
and drawing my knife, l prepared for
the encounter. The velocity of the
animal seemed more like that of light.
ming than any other comparison | can
make, and by the time | had fairly
put myself upon my defence, he was
upon me. struck out with nv rifle.
and missed him; and dropping the
piece, made lunge with my knife.
when, quick as thought he sprang
upon my breast. His motions were SO
quick as to take ,ne completely by
surprise: aud as l staggered back, and
gave hIm 4 severe iunge with my
knife, | slipped and fell. | was now
completely 1t his mercy; and with 4
terrible ferocIty, increased by the
pain OF his wound, he fastened his
fang into my qu!yerlng flesh, and lac
Grated me in the most horrible man
ner. still retained my knife and nv
presence o! mind, and iuncei desper-
ately: but my blows, from some cause
seemed to be turned from vital part.
How long the struggle lasted | an
unable to say; 1t might have been a
minute-it might have been ten-but
it seemed to me an age. Death, with
all the horrors Of dying Young, alone
far from home and my companions
in the wilderness, AMI by such a
cause, came upon me with i terrible
power. | seemed to recall, in an IN
slant Of time, all the great events OF
nv life. ! still struggled manfully--
| still lunged desperatelr-but every
moment | felt myself growing weaker
My garments were rent, my flesh
mangled, the blood was streaming
from my wounds, and felt a faint.
ness coming over me which | believed
to be the faintness of death Thought
of Francois, and called loudly for as
sistance, but no answer was returned.
tried to pray-but a thousand
thoughts rushed upon me, with such
overwhelming force, that not one
seemed to iinger long enough to be
paramount to the Others q, the hor-
rors oil that moment Even now, gen
tlemen, shudder as | recall them
describe them ! cannot. The beast.
| was aware, was still at his bloody
workout the sensations OF pain grew
every moment less acute. | felt tha,
was nearly dying. Ny sight grew
more and more dim, and at last all
terrestrial objects began 10 fade away
from me, a. | believed, forever.
Darkness, unconsciousness, death, !
might say, succeeded-but that I am
here to tell the tale
When l again opened my eyes,
found myself in the camp Of my friends
Francois, it seems, had He'd but hav.
ing, by good fortune, found a couple
of my companions not Jar distant, h,
had related TO them, in his own mar
velous way, the story OF my adven,
ture with the wonderful carcagieu
He told them how ne bad met us IA c
certain pass, and that against all per
suasion of his own, had deliberately
resolved upon an encounter with tht
magic beast. He said lie had re
mained long enough to see the monstr
spring upon me and, with the super
stition Of his class, he so!emniy de
clared, and called upon all the saint
to witness, that the next moment b
had seen both disappear in a rlou,
Of smoke and fire. Ny companions
OF course, were not prepared to credl
his wonderful tale, but were incline,
to the belief that something fearfu
had happened. Much against his VII
they OmFelled the terrified FrenchmaI
10 guide them to the eveutful pas:
: where, to their horror, they foun
what they believed TO be nv mangle
remains, surrounded hy a pool {
blood. There were traces Of blood IA
up the pass, and from tie appearance
! Of the knife, which was st.l! claspe
: in my hand, it was evident that th
; beas, had not escaped scathles
r Though apparently dead, a carefu
. examination showed signs of life j