Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-20

mar of defiance b witha1rgW 0uoa mofv into
M. ssruoxhoid; nor did be show himseh again
- ne drew ueaser and nearer, until us cana
u . halt about NJ yards from ths cava
rhs narrow ledge lsAiing up 70 il was
seusrarsd from the hillside on which
re stood by . deep gorge more than
forty fest wide, Above the ledge lowered
precipitous height. and every cleft or gully
IN tbs rocky wall around bristied with the
arms Of our sfearmen. barring es,ape In
every direction. . complete circle Of glitter
ing steel We looked carefully to our ~esP
ous. and when all Was ready for giving our
royal foes . hot reception, loud shouts and
clamor were raised 20 draw them forth. bus
all in vain No lion showed Is much Is the
tin Of his nose After brief CONSULTATION
ono dauntless youth volunteered 10 creep
along the ledge. close to the cave, COZ
scs q heap Of dry brushwod and Dire
il, % u to smoke the lions out
The spearmen redoubiei their ciamor, and
we held our rifles in readiness for instant use,
while anxiousiy watching the lads progresA
He pursued his perilous task with great cour-
age Creeping wnrily along the lesige. he
never paused till be had gained the entrance
OF the cave Quickly gathering together the
dry brush wooi near at hand. he son raised
a pile large enough To ill the entrance, aud
after firing It be made his way hack in
safety. proud Of his daring achiev enient, and
warmly greeted by Us all A few moments
and the fire hlnzed up, sending column Of
smoke into the cave The effect upon the in
mates was instantaneous aud startling Two
mighty roars mingled in one ami lion and
houess bounded forth one after the other.
Our doings had goaded them into fury. and
they were ready to do battie against all odds
in defense of their young ones and their
home At first glimpse Of them my compan-
ion and fire4i. but the movements of the
mighty beasts were rapid and incesss,nt
that both Of US missed Our Arab friends
were pepIering away with their frelocka,
but also To little or no purpose
Suddenly. while the honess charged down
upon us along the ledge, her consort, with one
mighty bound, cleared the gully, alighting
in the very midst of the Arabs at its brink,
and for the moment carrying all before him
We aimed carefully this time rs the ioness
sprang upon us, and 10th our bullets took
effect but il needed a second dose Of lead out
Of our breech leaders 10 stretch her lifeless at
our feet We then FASTENED To the assistance
of our allies What a scene met our eyesl
Bleeding profusely from many wounds. but
as vet far from disabled the furious male
Cracking a skull there with one mighty sweep
Of his paw, and smashing a shoulder with
another, he had already strewn the ground
with slain and wounded. ~ drew nigh to
finish him with our rifles At that very mo-
meut the spearmen were likewise upon him.
While he was scattering his assailants in
front, more and more men had drawn near
from behind and half dozen iances were
.,l,, inf Sit IN sIx han
ing him to the ground at last The short but
fierce struggle was over Olr terrible antag
ouist lay breathing his last. with his victims
around him He had killed five Arats out
right and wounded fourteen mere. among
whom. to our great regret WIS the young
hero Of the day. the same brave lad whose
perilous exploit we had admired much A
great bread cash from neck to shoulder will
henceforth hear witfess 10 his proves in the
eyes of the whole tribe
We were publicly THANKED by the chief for
our modest share in the glory of the day and
be informed US later on that he deemed vic
tory cheap at the price considering that
thirty or forty victims often fall in such ell
counters Two young cubs, scarcely u
months old, were found inside the cave half
smothered by the smoke We afterwards
learnt that they had been sent Ia Algiers for
sale and for all We know. they may now To
inmates of some geological garden OF menag
erie Our work was accomplished Proba-
bly, for many years to come the tribe would
be exempt from similar infection With high
hearts we held our triunphal entry into the
village amid shouts Of victory blended with
death walls and with lamentations over the
many wounded Our young hero Of the fire
met with his reward They carried him along