The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-01-18
THE LIONS SUPPER.
But a Panther Also Wanted II
60 the Hunter EScapeer

a sink or water hOie on the euse oi T"
dense wood. Suddenly lion uttered &
terrific roar, and looked up to find a
big fellow facing me. He bad been creep
ing down the edge Of the wood, perhaps
routed out of his hair BY some Of our men,
and while he was approaching the pool
from one direction was approaching
from the other. He was not over 3oV
feet away, and knew at frst glance that
he was mad. His name WIS up, his taIi
switching, and he meant fight He could
have been under cover at jump, and
thus avoided me altogether, and this
,vouia have been characteristic Of hon
disturbed at that hour Of the day. L
brought my rife down, aimed TO hit him
between the eyes, and pulled the trigger.
The ball grazed his skull, knocking him
down and making him crazy for mo-
,nen,. suspected from his antics that
he was only touched, and knew that as
soon as he had gathered himselfhe would
come for me. He WAS whirling round
and round and rolling over, and there
was no show for fair shot. ] therefore
made bolt for the nearest tree, and was
Just OF the ground when the lion scream
ed out, and dropped my gun to get
above his reach.
II was close call for me. The blood
blinded him as he made his spring, and
the paw which stuck at me PASSED clear
Of my BODY. He went to the ground in
heap. rolled over two or three times, and
before he was up was out of reach. /
got seat about twenty-five feet from
the ground, and the way that old fellow
RACED and rayed for the next quarter OF
an hour was a circus 10 see. He had
been in ill-temper before | naked his
skull. lie was now so mad that he would
have faced regiment Of men. From
the limb where | sat 10 the next. ten
feet higher. the tree was smooth, and l
did not dare attempt 10 climb il. was
Just safe and no more. The enraged
beast made all sorts Of attempts 10 reach
Inc. even trying TO climb, but was safe
several times he ran back on the plain
few rods and then came for me Hail CO.
lumbia. sprnging up to within three or
four feet Of my perch, but never coming
high enough. His repeated fIilures an
gcred him still further, and if a lion ever
lost his head and got mad from nose to
tail that fellow did. When he found
that the couldn't get me he made circles
about the tree. rolled over and over, and
his growls and roars were enough to set
me in a chill.
had my revolver, but il contained
only three charges, and had no more
ammunition. ] should have TO reach
his brain OF heart to kill him, and he
would not give me an opportunity for a
doomed TO pass the night in the tree, and
| then decided 20 save my bullets for
some otlser danger which might be ex-
pected. The sun had hardly gone down
when darkness came on. The lion gave
up trying TO reach me and sat up at the
foot Of the tree, and rs the darkness grew
deeper | could see his eyes blaze like
Goals II was no use expecting any help
from the camp, for no one would know
which way TO look for me, and after a
while got hitch around the tree with
my scarf and took some precautions as
would prevent me from falling off the
limb should go to sleep. That was a
horrible night. At an early hour every
specie of wild beast and night bird was
astir, and pandemonium reigncd through
out the forest. Twice before midnight
other lions approached the tree, TO be
driven off by the sentry, and troop of
elephants on their way TO the pool pass
ed within hundred feet About mid
night the lion took on at great rate,
scratching up the leaves and switching
his tail in defiance, and | heard fierce
growing and snar!ing from some beast
which turned out 20 be panther, for |
heard his claws raking the bark rs he
climbed tree a few yards away. knew
what he was after, and GO, my revolver
ready and followed him by sound. He
ascended to height Of about IS feet,
came toward me on limb. and could
see his eyes shining like diamonds.
The panther would hage to spring
about twenty feet TO reach me- The lion
knew what he was after, and he dashed
TO and fro under the tree and kept up
such roaring that all other beasts quit
for the time in disgust. W, facing the
panther as sat on my perch. IL seemed
to me that was doomed to be eaten by
one or the other, and the only possible
show had was sho. at the panther
could see nothing but his eyes, but
held my revolver as steadily as possible
and pulled the trigger. think the beasl
was just ready TO spring. cannot say
that hit him, but the flash and report
would have confused him. / had hardly
fired when he came for me, but fell short
and down he went 10 be seized by the
enraged lion. The fight would have
been worth going long way to see. Il
lasted fully fifteen minutes, and the fierce
snarls and terrible roars kept me in Z
tremble. BY and by both beasts seemed
90 have had enough and the conflict
ceased heard the lion walking about
and whining and moaning, but aftera few
minutes these sounds ceased, and / wa.
not further disturbed during the night
When daylight came saw the panther
dead at the foot of the tree, and just ri
the edge of the pool was the dead body
OF the lion. He had gone there to drink
and had tumbled over just as he turned
from the water.
examined both bodies carefully I've.
fore left. Such work with teeth and
claws few men ever saw Tie lion had
seized each forelcg Of the panther and
crushed the bones of the ankle in hi,
teeth. lie had torn his neck in a horri
BILE manner aud had bitten the flesh o
one of his checks until pull would hav,
exposed the jaubonc on that side. Tn,
panther had bitten the lion about tn,
throat and breast, but had depended
more on his claws. With these he ha,
literally diseml,oweled the eking. LaI,on
Timcs.
What am to Do?