Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-05-05
A TALE OF THREE LIONS.
By n. RIDER HA0oARD.

A 1<oA AL w 11lllLL LkONOs
By n. RIDER HAGGARD.
Course Of centuries Of patient washing tho
water had hoMowed out some Of the huge
slabs In its path into great troughs and cups,
and these we used for bathing places No
Roman lady, with her baths of porphyry or
alabaster, could have had o more delicious
spot to lave herself than we had within fifty
yards of our skerm or rough inclosure Of
mimosa thorn that we had dragged together
round our cart TO protect US from tho attacks
OF Iona Thsxn were several of these about,
a. knew from thcir spoor, shough We had
neither heard nor seen them.
"It was little nook where the eddy Of the
stream he'd washed away q mass of soil, and
on tho edge Of it there grew Q most beautiful
old mimosa thorn. Beneath the thorn was q
large smooth slab Of granite fringed all
round with mnidenhair and other ferns, that
sloped gently down to pool Of the clearest
sparkling water, which lay in q bowl Of
granite about ten feet WIDE by five feet deep
in the center. Here to this slab we went
every morning TO battle, and that delightful
bath is among the most pleasant Of my hunt
ing "reminiscences, a. 1t is also for reasons
that win presently appear among the most
painful
iIt was . lovely night and Harry and
nat there to the windward Of the fire, at
which the two Kafirs were busily employed
in cooking some impala steaks on o buck
which Harry, to his great joy, had shot that
morning, and were as perfectly contented
with ourselves and the world at large as two
people could possibly be- The night was beau
tiful; il would require somebody with more
words on the tip Of their tongue than have
to properly describe the chsstened majesty Of
those moonht wilds. Away forever and for
ever, away to the mysterious north, rolled the
great bush ocean over which the silence
brooded. Thsrs beneath US, q mile or more
70 the right, ran the wide Okphant and
mirror like Aaahed back the moon, whose
silver spears were shivered on its breast and
then tossed In twisted lines Of light far
and wide abeut the mountains and the plain.
Down upon the river banks grew great tim
bsr trees that, through the stiAlness, pointed
solsmnly to heaven, and the beauty OF the
night lay upon them like Q cloud. Every
whsfe was silence-silencs In the starred
depths, silence on the fair bosom ef the sleep
ing earth. New, II svss. grsas thoughts
m .ht rise in o mans mind, and seg . space
he might loose his littlsness In the ssaas sAes
he partook Of the pure inamensisy sbsss ~
Almost might he seem 70 see the spirit - -
heavens, girAisd round with stays, psassAs
down I'm the dead quiet to look, now that sAe
night had covered up her sins, upsn the sleep
Sng facs sf Ais lnab h~AAS % sastA. Almass
unaxhs he hear tAs echoes az angelic voices, as
che spiris poised On bent and rushing pinions
swept onward from universe to universe;
and distinguish the white fingers Of the wind
playing in the tressss of the trees.
"Hark! what was thatr'
"rrom far away dswn by the river there
comes o mighty rolling sound, then another
and another. Il is the lion seeking his meat.
II saw Harry shiver and t,arn Q little pale.
He was plucky boy enough, eas the roar OF
lion for the nrss time in the solemn bush
veldt ct night 10 apt TO shake the nerves OF
any Lad
"Tions, my bsy,' I said; they are hunt
ing down by the river there; but don't
think that You need make yourself uneasy.
We have been here three nights now and If
shey were going 70 pay Us q visit should
think that they would have done 60 before
this However, we will make up the fire.
"'Here, Pharaoh, DO you and JimJim get
some more wood before we 20 70 sleep, else
shs cats win Be- purring round before morn
S.>A .. n-.~rv s~.,, who
- -. :. p,,sr;,,,s Pc
,.S1 - -" -" - .Ia ~. ..,.a..ssa har,sais .nd
~. .. say "a, % I;u, Az h-iro the AZ
sn." ..+.d ~ a., sh. 1oon,;eh.
sa. nu , ..s - e.,rs- ,,,.h ,~hses ~. cut
~ 81 s"s.. ~ .n,~ 49, go Ha was a
a.. a.. ASS1 s",,.- q. ~ ~ Vas Phsraoh and
sSsss .,s . sSos M "a "a -, rsr.sA Pharaoh be-
- s s-s Ss.X. % rs~n.;.. 80 N co,rtsu-
s ~ 80 ~ e - - - 1900 ahont him.
r.nG 80 ~ : ,.-ss. ~sc,,i,sr v.v
DuS - ~ - - ,..n.-s.;,s,, = his tsnner
"a aooo1ns OA sS ue, ~a'.sS q ar ~;th him !.
80 40 :. ~ ..,,S | -. n he xon,d drink Ike
a. - - - A,.snr ha h.c.yne .hock.
s.~,- h,a,G,Ni-~tv Th..a wsrs hi. had
.a;.... .~Sv IT. ~ood ona. wsrs thsA ,ike moSE
% ssor,ss ~ W sss xuiu Hood hs became exesed-
80 ..t..h.1 e. or. n he tooh To Won At ali:
Sa -. . : "a ~orS;ne ana intslligent man
anS sh,,s =. Iasr. devii and plucky feIlow
81 = ninch M r hsvs ever had 10 do with,
- = -