The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-03
MAoN LADY AND A LION.
rsrrible Experience Through Which a
hung Girl Passed
Fran te Macon CGn-) Telegraph.


r-rom se Macon (Ga.) Telegraph.
,artv c. Macon people were chatting
a.her da, about the ulanifcent lion pre-
- n tbeAtIanta Zoo by the journal,
s"a,,+inp O. what a lordly beast re was,
u- hat a splendid specimen of savage
force he preseted. ,;o,.
Ine eraI nd might have eventually
III 80 .,socia lions, ;" but for remark by
reaer ~ the lalies present, whose eyes mad
enc s - nrigleued as with the vivid recol-
suS.;o,, nj sonethrilllng adventure
NeGStISar Won raw rave as you please" she
INT tie 'lordly beauty OF the King
90 S,osts hut had On experience once
~ - 80 eafFactuallycured me OF any desire for
The society Of inns.
s.Vo y confined the speaker, In response
a. soTne half ncredulous inquiries, my
~, I.as 'sureenough' lon, and he wasn't
Aon 80 eirbe. But if you people don't
~ ~ now it feds to be face TO face with an
AAnro-ed lion. expecting every moment to
ea,'a him sprin, upon you. and grind you
No No his nonderols jaws, I'll tell you about
nv adventure .,
- III was in Augusta many years ago. l
vonnp gill of some IA summers then,
e;,bs- too Young nor too old TO look upon
nirc, circus S one of the highest pima
cIes Of earthly bliss. At the time am
talIing YOU of sgreat circus had just come
70 Augusta. an6 had gone to pieces, as the
Snowman put it before 1t could get away
from the CITY. -, 4. l..
obla tn look at tie elephant and the lion and
tbe monkeys until my curiosity had been
1arfectlv stated. and the stranding OF this
shoIv seemed to me i'll the nature of a prov
;Jertial dlspensatien for which | was duly
e"The animals belonging to the wrecked
c,rcus v ere Installed temporarily In large
warehouse where, they were kept for several
weeks. The place vas kept open and the
nnblic given the opportunity to study nat
nral history to their hears content. made
the most Of the opportunity aud went as
often as possible to the warehouse, turned
for the time into natural history museum.
"But to come to my lion. l say my
linn not so much because l ever possessed
his lionship, but because he came SO near
nossessipg me. He was one OF the largest
snecimens of his kind | ever saw, a regal
beast with a great name and limbs and
muscles that revealed vast power.
His keeper told US that he was
the largest lion then living IN
America, and I don't doubt he was
correct. became especially fond of watch
ing the magnificent beast. and never tired
of standing before his cage watching him
mace restlessly to and fro, looking out
through the iron bars with a contemptuous
gaze. as if he felt he could break them if be
cared and now and then stopping and look
ing away over the heads of the crowd, as il
his thoughts had borne him back to his
native forests in darkest Africa
ut was on one of these visits to the lions
cage in company with my sister that the
adventure befell We were standing neal
where the great fellow was imprisoned,
chatting with his keeper who was telling u,
something of his charge, which he described
as being particularly dangerous specimen
adding that his lionship was in bad humol
that day, SO much so that he had used extra
precautions TO prevent bis breaking from
his cage.
THE keeper had scarcely finished telling
US this when fearful roar from the cage
caused US to face about. The sight that me-
my gaze froze my blood. By some means
never explained, the giant beast, who hac
again and again hurled himself against the
slender bars with all his vast strength, hac
broken from the cage and landed, with one
leap, in the middle of the floor, scarce II
feet from where we stood. The place wa
comparatively deserted, and for the momen
fixed with horror. Great as was my fright
remember every detail Of the scene as dis
unctly as If it had been caught With men
tai kodak.
The lion, too, seemed daZed. His sud
den leap to liberty stunned him, and he
stood for moment, as the roar that haC
startled US died away, and gazed around a
II wondering what be should do next.
nave distinct recollection that he seemed
to me to be selecting which of us would
make the most toothsome morsel and
confess to having felt base delight that
was thin and not likely to make so temptius
meal as the keeper, who was fat, jolly
fellow.
That moment of hesitation cost Mr.
Lion his suddenly acquired liberty. and
nrmiy believe is the only reason why | an
here to tell the story. The keeper had no
lost his presence of mind, and the monen
ne saw the danger had leaped to the size O
the cage and Snatched the heavy lasso ken
tnere Tor emergencies like this. It require.
put moment more for him to skilfnll,
h'ng the moose over the lions great head
ana III another moment his majesty wa
peing strangled into subsection. Other
keepers rushed to his assistance, and he wa:
there --''o''o>
!, The keeper told me after it was all ove
Vuae had unconsciously saved the Who'll,
party. When the beast stopped to lool
around him. my eye caught his. Iva
.I4snIeneo as near to death as | ever expect
W oe, Dut gazed straight into his fer,
olos with all the transfixed intensity witt
"Hich was capable. Until the moose fell
around DIS shaggy neck, he never took hi,
Eyes from mine. That look. the trainer
u0clared, was our salvation