Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-27
CONTINUED
A TALE OF THREE LIONS
By n. RIDER HAooAAD.

result. Indeed the probability is that
missed her clean. At any rate, she got to the
bus!i in safety, and once there, began to make
such q diabolical noise as l never heard be-
fore She would whine and shrek, then
burst out into perfect volleys of roaring that
SHOOK tie whole place.
well said, we must just let her roar;
to go into that bush after her at night would
be Madness
AT that moment, to my establishment and
alarm, there came an answering roar from
the direction Of the river and then another
from behind the swell Of bush. Evidently
there were more lions about. The wounded
loness redoubled her efforts, with the object,
suppose, Of summoning the others 10 her as
sistance. At any rate they came, and
quickly, too, for within five minutes, reeping
through the bushes Of our skerm fence, we
saw MAGNIFICENT lion bounding along to-
ward us through the tall tamboulin grass
that in the moonlight looked for all the world
Ike ripening corr On he came in great
leaps, and glorious sight it was TO ss-e him
When within fifty yards or ~ he stood still
in an open space and reared, and the lioness
roared too, and then there came a third roar,
and another great black named lion stalked
majestically up and joined No. 2, and really
began to realize what Jim-Jim must have
undergone.
Now, Harry | whispered, whatever
you do, don't fire-it's too risky. II they let
us be, let them be-
well, the pair Of them marched of TO the
bush, where the wounded iioness was now
roaring double tides, and the whole three Of
them began to snarl and grunble away to-
gether there. Presently, however, the lion
ess ceased roaring and the two lions came out
again. the black named one irst-ta prospect,
| suppose-and walked TO where the carcass
Of the OK lay and shifted at it,
"'Oh, what a shotp whispered Harry, who
trembling with excitement.
Eyes | said, but don't fire; they might
all of them come for u.s..
"IIarry said nothing, but whether it was
from the natural willfulness Of youth, or be-
cause he was thrown off his balance by ex-
element, or from sheer recklessness, am
sure cannot tell you, never having been
able to get satisfactory explanation from
him; but at any rate the fact remains, he,
without word of warning, entirely disre-
garding my exhortations, lifted up his West
ley Richards and fired at the black named
lion; and, what is more, hit it slightly on the
flank.
Next second there a most awful roar
from the injured brute He glared around
him and roared with pain, for he was sadly
stung; and then. before could make up my
mind what 10 do the great black NAMED
brute, evidently ignorant of the cause Of his
pain, sprang right at the throat of his COM
panion, TO whom he ~ identity attributed his
misfortune. II was n curious sight to see the
evident astonisimcnt of the other lion at this
most unprovoked assault. Over he rolled
with an angry roar. and on to him sprang
4
to worry him. This finally awoke
the yellow named lion to sense
of the situation and am bound
to say that he rose to the occasion in q
most effective manner. Somehow or other
he got to his feet and roaring and smarting
friShtfuIly closed with his mighty foe. And
then ensued n scene that absolutely battles
description. You know what a shocking
thin; it is to see two large dogs fighting with
abandonment Well, whole hundred OF
dogs could not have looked half terrible
those two great brlites as they rolled and
roared and rent i'll their rage 1t was an
awful and wonderful thing to see the great
cats tearing at each other with all the fierce
energy of their savage strength, and making
the night hileous with their heartshaking
NOISE. And the fight was Il grand one, too.
For some minutes it was impossible to say
which was getting the best OF it, but at last
saw that the biacl. named lion though he
was slightly the bigger, was failing. | am
inclined to think that the wound in his flank
crippled him. Anyway, he began to get the
worst of it, which served him right, as he
was the aggres'or. Still | could not help
feeling sorry for him, for he had fought
gallant fight, when his antagonist finally got
him by the throat and. struggle and strike
nt no ba SNoulJ hI,ro,, IN biol ha ns,t
of him. Over and over they rolled together,
an awe inspiring spectacle, but the yellow
boy would not loose his hold, and at length
poor black name grew faint, his breath came
in great SHORES and seemed to rattle in his
noStrils, then he opened his huge mouth,
gave the ghost of roar, quivered and was
dead
when he was quite sure that the victory
was his own, the yellow named lion loosed
his grip and shifted at his fallen foe. Then
he licked the dead lions eye and next with
his fore feet resting on the carcass, sent up
his own chant of victory, that went rolling
and p.aling down the dark ways of the night
in all TIN gathered ma csty of sound Aud
at this point | interfcred. Taking II careful
siAht at the center of his body, in order to
give tho largest possible margin for error, l
fired, and sent "A 30 express bullet right
through him, and down he dropped dead
upon hi mighty foe.
AT that. fairly satisfied with our PERFORM
ances, we slept pcaceably till dawn leaving
Pharaoh to keep watch i'll case any more
lions should take it into their heads TO come
our way.
'When the sun was arly up We arose, and
very cautiously rro'eede,i-at least Pharaoh
and did, for vniiid not allow Harry to
coma-to S.ra if Ne V,,ilid SEQ ANYTHING of tho