Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-11-14
\ COURAGEOUS YANKEE

Having safely landed at st. Louis,
west coast OF Africa, we soon bar
gained with the owner of a suitable
boat for trip up the Senegal river in
search of menagerIe stock. For GER
tain sum he was to obey our orders
for thirty days, besides furnishing all
articles of food and drink. There were
three white men of US, and each OF US
had two servants, while there were
seven or eight men belonging to the
boat We had no cargo except the
goods and cages belonging to the me-
uagerie expedltIon and the boat WAS
craft somewhat resembling an Amer
lean canal boat, but very light, and
propelled by three oarsmen on Side
" hat we wanted was TO capture some
of q big lions OF the great Sahara
desert, and we had been shipped away
from Gibraltar very quietly TO try =
new idea in animal hunting
Now, while / had long been in the
employ OF German house, and could
rattle of the language faster than any
native born. | was still a Yankee from
top to toe, and 1t did not take more
than two words against my country 10
set me on edge. When we made our
fourth camp up the river we Were
good lfty miles above salt water ana
| IN the lion country. What was my
disgust to End large party ahead OF
us not animal catchers. but animal
killers. There were i've or SIX English
army and navy officers, with large
retenue OF servants, two French officers
and three or four French civilians All
the Cfficsgs were on leave OF absence
and out for a grand lion hunt When
they found we were only menagerie
men their welcome grew cold very fast.
They had come to meet the king OF
beasts in the open and give him a
( chance for hIs life. We had come 10
| effect his capture and degradation by
| underhaIded measures. L can see now
why they should have felt contempt
| for our vocation, albeit II was an hon
| est one and one requiring courage, but
| | couldn't see 1t then. Therefore, Ger
| tain remarks that fell that night IN my
| hearing nettled M, and aroused all my
/ Yankee pride. My companions were
| likewise Indignant. and as we turned
/ in for the night, our boat at the bank
/ In front OF their camp. II would not
/ have taken much more to bring about
IN open rupture
Two OF the hunting party were par
| ticularly offensive an English pay
! master aud French civilian. The
| latter had n title OF some sort, and was
looked up 10 on account of it. The
paymaster talked because ne saw that
It displeased US; the Frenchman lie
cause he was both Ignorant and con-
ceited. The point they aimed 10 make
VAS that il took a brave man TO hunt 1
lion, while any coward could set a traI
for him. Now each one OF us had nO'
4 in fafr ~
| but our tiger as well, and we talked /
over before going to sleep, and deter
mined not TO move on next day, as W.
mad at irst intended. We needed NJ
| assurance from our boatmen that VI
were in the lion country. To the nortl
| Of us stretched the great desert OF sanC
and shrub. and before ten O'Clock tbs
voices of several lions had been heard
| on the still night air. Next morning
| We all moved about three miles up tn
| tream to u more broken countr.
/ crown up to brushes, and here, as mos
| OF the men were making ready to z,
out on a hunt, the Frencnman TOOL
occasion to express his surprise TO m
chat we had guns along. He supposed
he SAID, that We hid ourselves In tree
and lassoed the lions as they passe'
beneath, or that We set steel traps Il
, his path and gave HIM no show TO es
cane. 1t was meant for an insult, an
I was at "A white heat, but L choke
down my wrath and waited.
We knew from the lay OF the groun
that no lion would be found with
; i've miles Of the stream, as the cove
WAS not of the right sort, and none c
= as went out with the party or tn
:, tiye or six who did go all came bac
footsore, but full of brag. Like u
boy who had ''almOst seen bear,
e Jhey had discovered the spoors OF lion
!, and were greatly excited and encou
@ AGED. \ general hunt would be mad
! on the morrow
While the lion generally shakes o.
slesp at sundown, and INDUCES IN
; roar. he seldom leaves his cover unit
+ an hour and a halt later. On tn
night we had full moon early In q
ayeniup- and we knew that the liol
n would be heard from by nine o'clocl
: The three of us had left the boat, an
=. we're under shelter on the bank belo
y he other party. We had fully ca
: yassed what was to be done, and hs
e drawn lots to see who should be
e Iected. | was the lucky winner.
:. was not more than a quarter after MI
when "A lion roared, and greatly TO o.
sstisfactiou we found that he W
directly north OF US For the space
l. three hundred feet the ground was
e Ieyel as a floor. Then It ascend
: slightly for a hundred feet further
20 a ridge, beyond which was ROCKY al
. broken ground. As we sprang up
u made ont two lions on TINS rlu9
a The moon was clear, and we could
sr them almost as plainly as by ga
Is They were male and female, OF lar
Z sIzs. and the fact Of their exposi
y themselves so boldly proved their col
,pe. was all ready, and after nan
Oh shake with my companions 1 walk
II over - the other party, which had De
~ thrown into a state OF great e1citemel
. Son,. had their guns, and others vs
hring,np them out, and I raised
yo,cs and commanded attention, a
D. said: ,,.u uo,s ara ,srsI