Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-09-05

L e
supposed. he said, that We hid our
selves in trees aud lassoed the lions as
they passed beneath, or that we set
steel traps in his path and gave him no
show to escape. It was meant for an
insult, and / was at a white heat, but I
choked down my wrath and waited.
We knew from the lay of the ground
that no lion would be found within five
miles OF the stream, as the cover was
not OF the right sort, and none of US
went out with s...a party. OF the five
or six who did go all came back foot
sore, but full of brag. Like the boy
who had almost seen bear,n they
had discovered the spoons of lions, and
were greatly excited and encouraged.
A general hunt would be made on the
morrow.
While the lion generally shakes off
sleep at sundown, and INDUCES in a
roar, he seldom leaves his cover until
an hour and half later, On this
| night we had a full moon early in the
evening, and We knew that the lions
would be heard from by nine o'clock.
The three of us had left the boat, and
were under shelter on the bank below
the other party. We had fully can
| vassed what was to be done, and had
! drawn lots to see who should be Sc
lected. l was the lucky winner. 1t
was not more than u quarter after
nine when a lion roared, and greatly to
our satisfaction we found that he was
directly north of us. For the space OF
three hundred feet the ground was as
level as a floor. Then it assembled
slightly for hundred feet further to
a ridge, beyond which was rocky and
broken ground. AS we sprang up we
made out two lions on this ridge.
The moon was clear, and we co:id see
them almost as plainly as by day.
They were male and female, of large
size, and the fact of their exposing
themselves so boldly proved their
courage. I was all ready, and after
a hand-shake with my companions ]
walked over to the other party, which
had been throw into state of great
excitement. Some had their guns,
and some were bringing them out, and
l raised my voice and commanded at
tention, and said:
''Gentlemen, the lions are here! Dc
not open a fushlade and scare then
of, but wait until they come nearer. >
''Would you wait until they are il
the camp?'' shouted the paymaster.
Not exactly, but they must have {
fair show, you know? Even ou1
cowardly natives here can fire off gun:
and raise great row. Why don't &
couple of you go forward with YOU
riaes?''
Ear him talk!' growled an En-
glishman.
mo thing but Yankee bluster!" add
ed a second.
''You and I will advance upon thu
beasts alone" said to the French
sprig of nobility, who stood with gu1
in hand.
mo! no! nor he replied as h
backed off.
but thought you gave the lion ;
fair show? Is there man in thi:
crowd who dares go with me?''
I stepped out, revolver in hand, ant
for half q minute there was dee1
silence. Then two or three of them
urged me not to be foolhardy, Will,
two Or three others growled out that i
was only Yankee bluff and buster
The lions roared again, making thu
very earth tremble, and I saw tina
neither had changed position.
''Some of you have seen fit to slu
the nerve required by men in our voca
tion," I said when the roarings dice
away. Il am going to drive thos,
lions off the ridge. I should like com
pany. Who will come with me?'
Not a man moved.
Every well, I will go alone. This
as all can see, is my only weapon"
I struck out at a moderate pace, fac.
to the lions and the revolver in hand
I was going to bluff the beasts or los,
my life. I believed they could b,
blufed. They stood about four fee
apart, heads elevated and tails up, ant
1 had not advanced forty feet whe,
both uttered a deep growl. Before
had gone hundred feet the men were
begging me to return. Had I faltere6
or halted Or looked back my power
would have vanished in a second.
had my eyes ON the lions, and 1 wen
steadily forward. They growled agai1
and switched their tails. When I hac
covered one-third of the distance thu
female crouched as if for run at me
while the male was evidently uneasy
At half the distance the male advanced
a step or two, with a low roar, and tn,
female changed her place to the othel
side of him. Behind me every maj
held his breath, believing I was goine
to certain death. I am not going Il
deny that I was in a tremble, and tina
would have given ten years of m,
life to be out of the scrape, but I ha4
been insulted and slurred as a Yankee
and was either to die like a Yanke,