The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-11
A LION TAMER'S YARNS.
He Seized a Tiger by the Skin of Its
Back and Carried 1t OF.

"A CtON tAMEh - VAHNS.
He Seized a Tiger by the Skin of It's
Back and Carried 1t on.
The Imagination of even Barnum
must pale before the collection of mar
velous tales of circus adventure con-
tanned in book recently issued in
France by the famous lion tanner,
Bidel, which purports to be a memoir
of his life, and the accuracy OF which
is vouched for. by the way, by excel
lent authority. This is his account of
the feat which first won him distinc-
ton, the occasion being the escape OF
Atlier, young tiger noted for his fe-
rOcity:
Through half-open window some
one said to me, almost in whisper,
for fear the tiger should hear him:
There he is" The brave fellows
finger pointed to blacksmith shop,
the door wide open and the interior,
thanks to the binding light of day,
seeming to be a gulf of darkness. l
rushed at it. just at first / could see
nothing. Every thing was darkness.
This did not go on for more than ten
seconds. l got used to the darkness,
and discovered the fugitive crOuched
in a corner, ready to leap upon me,
with foaming throat and flaming eyes.
One second more and he would have
sprung, annihilated and torn me to
pieces. l took the initiative and it
was that made the spring. What
howlings, what fury and what foam
ing! This hand-tO-hand struggle in
semi-darkness, l breathless and he
furious, did not last long. Otherwise
/ should have been lost. With both
my hands, which are strong and large,
! seized him by the skin of his back; l
lifted him over my back. and under
this enormous weight. without stum-
bling, without faltering, l walked with
firm and even step to the menagerie.
You may imagine that [ was congrat-
ulated
Lions were more to M. Bidel's taste,
and the yarns he spins of his expert
ences with them are startling For in
stance, once four lions IN a cage had
seized a man passing, and, being I'M
able to pull him through the bars of
the cage whole, were biting him into
pieces and getting him inside in that
way. M. Bidel. with no weapon but
his fists, sprang into the cage and beat
the lions until they let go their prey,
after having got the mans right arm
and samples of other portions of his
body inside the bars. The man recov-
cred and is still living. Another time
M. Bidel, seeing evidences of bad tenn
per on the part of Sultan, a black
named African lion in the prime of
life, entered the cage for the purpose
of correcting any possible hayward
tendencies on the part of the beast.
He was suffering from acute rheuma-
tism in his left leg, and, at the critical
moment fell, and was bounced upon by
the lion. There was cry of horror
from those about, and M. Bidel was
the only man who made no sound. 81
felt the need of being calm" he naively
remarks; 1.-The least mistake and all
was over" So, instead of making a
fuss and crying out, he seized the lion
by it's throat and twisted the skin with
all his might. The lions attack was
checked, and the next instant assist.
ants with red-hot bars drove off the
beast. M. Bidel sp"ang to his feet,
crushed upon the rebel and drove him
into his retreat
Another lion story, less sensational
but with the same delicate flavor OF
veracity that makes M. Bidel's
memoirs so delightful, is of lion and
ioness who had for many years dwell
together in one cage, and whose emu.
tual endearments were incessant,
demonstrative and touching" A
bachelor lion came to live next tc
them, and one day, the door between
the two cages being left open, the lion.
ess slipped through to visit the bach.
elor. The betrayed husband was be.
side himself with passion; there was
anguish and hatred in his face, and il
was plain his heart was broken
When the lioness was driven back tc
her own cage she was instantly killed
by her husband.--M Y San.