Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-10
TO DEDICATE A CRURcH.
MESMERlZEO BY a LION.
a British Onicer Held Powerless by the
Monsters Burning Care.
rCbfcaoo Tnter-Oreau1

liulcAHp lnleI-bCthllsl
CT. Stewart. formerly an ensign in the
British navy, now a resident OF Blrming-
ham. Ala. spent cen years OF his life IN
India. Stewart was always fondot hunting
and adventure. lion-huuting having been
his favorte sport in India. He IL not a
believer in the theory of lion-tamers that
the steady glance of the human eye will
subdue the widest Of the king Of beasts.
in fact, Stewart came worry near losing his
life in making "a test OF that KIND.
The story Is best told in his own words:
In 1874 three friends of mine from Eng
land visited India. and they wanted 10 90
hon-huntlng. | made up party CON-
posed of half dozen English residents,
number of natives. my visitors. and my
self. We went into the jungle for big
camp-hunt, and We're successful from the
start. On the fourth day | met an expe-
rience which cured me of liOn-huntlng.
I'VE are driving through the Jungle
slowly and our party became separated. |
had worked my way through the dense
undergrowth probably mile when ! sud-
denly discovered that / was out Of sight
and hearing of all my companions. was
we'll in advance of them and turned to
retrace my steps. | had gone only about
100 feet when one Of the largest lions
ever saw suddenly ieaped into the
Dtfn L Dhl Ilhtlb ny lily Hh9'hEp hDl
more than fifty feet from me. The animal
discovered me at the same instant that
saw him. raised my rifle and, for once,
fired without taking careful aim and my
bullet went wide of the mark. The lion
crouched in the path and for q moment
made no move to advance or retreat.
started to reload my gun, when tho ugly
beast. with a low groWl. commenced 10
Green toward me.
II raised my head and looked right at
the lions eyes. Then / thought OF that
old Snowman gag about the steady geZe OF
the human eye, aud / tried It. The trOu-
bic was the beast could give me ten yards
the start and then outgaZe me. As SHOCKED
into those great red and yellow eyes they
seemed TO be balls of fire as bigas my head.
The beast disappeared. i saw nothing but
the eyes. The strangest feeling i ever
experienced came over me, and then
realized that, instead of exercising some
kind of mesmerc influence over the lion
he had gained that power over me. The
agony / suffered tor the next five minutes
words cannot describe. Ifelt my strength
giving away, my gun slipped from my
hands, and | fell to the ground, but to
save nv life | could not move or cry out.
Nv heart seemed TO stop beating. the blood
in nv veins TO freeze. and felt every HAIR
on nv nSau SlONif l49o W " POI PSIe'iN o''''
All this time noticed that the terrible
beast was slowly creeping toward me az q
cat creeps on its prey. My eyes wert
fixed on the two balls of fire before me,
and could not close them or turn my
head. Back Of the terrible eyes
could see what appeared to be DARK
swaying from side to side. and knew the
beast was lashing its tail slowly as 1t adj
yanced. NV whole life passed in review II
my mind in an instant, and ! realized
that | was in the presence of death, but
could not cry out-my tongue would no
obey my will. The great balls OF fire grew
nearer and nearer, and tried TO breathe
PRAYER, but | could mott was SIMPLY
| living stature. without power to do any
| thing but TO realize the awful horror Of
nv situation.
Suddenly the great eyes which held nj
| CENTRALIZED seemed TO be perfectly still 70
an instant, and | knew the end was com
lng-the lion was near enough TO make
spring. | tried to close my eyes, but coulC
| not. saw the great yellow form and tins
| two balls of fire rise from the ground, and
at the same instant heard report which
to nv strained nerves seemed like th'
discharge of battery of artillery. Ihe'
lost consciousness. When my sense
returned | was lying on the groun'
at our camp. surrounded by the entir'
party of hunters, who had given me VI
! for dead. | had been unconscious NOR
than four hours, and 50 great had been tn
strain on my nervous system 1t was weel
before fully recovered my strength. Fiy'
of nv party, it appears, had been follow
ing the trail Of the lion. and they arrives
lust in time TO save my life. 1t was thei
rife shots heard. all FIVE of them hsyini
shot the lion just as he was crouching 70
a spring. The beast leaped five feet IN tn
air and fell back dead"