Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-25

tween two hidsous pickets Of ugly yellow teeth
He fell back and then gathering his ferociou
this time striking his left shoulder heavily
against projecting corner Of the granite slab
| Fortunately, the ascent was slightly curvinR
so that the distance could not be made at
| single bound without collision, else had VI
| both surely been DESTROYED.
Again the supple and comedy beast, disdain.
| ing to creep or crawl, made q mighty leap up.
| ward. But only to strike the rounding corner
Of the great granite slab and fall back q be.
fore.
But knew he would reach NJ in time! And
II ever man did wish for fitting arms to fight
| with and defend woman IL was / at that time.
True, had but five shots left, but what were
they IN the face of this furious king Of beasts?
began to fear that they would only serve to
| enrage him.
Still he should have all had to give. Death
is, has been and will be. The best We can
make OF it all is to try and see that We shall not
| die ingloriousy
The woman had been BY my side all this
time. And now, as the lion paused as1f to
gather up the broken thunderbolts of his
strength, she laid a hand on my arm never SO
| gently, and said: Let me 20 down and meet
him face to face. think he will not harm
me-"
Madam" I exclaimed impetuously. lyon
will meet him up here, and face to face, soon
enough think"
No. that will not do. You must trust the
|
| Ipushed her back a. she tried to pass down.
| almost violently
''There!" cried, as I wheeled about and
| forced her before me for an instant, IF YOU
have real courage leap to the head Of yonder
column, then on to the next! Quick! Be quick
enough to save yourself and"
die"
For Gods sake you will run away and save
me-"
why. How?"
Il will join you there, 60! Quick, or II will
be too late"
Another leap Of the lion! Bang! Bang!
This time he did not fall back, but held on BY
sheer force of his powerful arms, his terrible
claws tearing at tn, granite slab a. they hung
and hooked over its outer edge.
Bang! Bang! Bang The last shot, I
hurled my revolver in his face, for he had not
nlnched or given back a single grain. His
breath and my breath were mingled there in
the smoke of my pistol heard-or did feel,
his great hinder feet fastening in the steen
earth under him for his anal struggle to the
top.
turned. saw that she had reached the far
ther column, and with three leaps and bound
had crossed the granite slabs and stood erect
on the bearer one. Not moment had I left
The hon, with great noise Of claws on the
granite, came tearing to the surface. crouched
down. out of breath, on the outer edge of nv
column, so as to be surely out of reach of his
ponderous paws. expected him to decide the
matter at once-to reach US or to give it up in
stantly. But he seemed in no haste now. He
scarcely advanced at all for what seemed to me
to be long time. Finally, jerking his tail like
the swift movement Of a serpent, he strobe
along the farthest edge Of the granite slab
and seemed to take no notice of us whatever
Blood was dripping from his mouth, but he did
not seem to heed it.
Once more he strobe with his old majesty and
seemed ashamed that he should have descended
TO the lndignlty OF struggle to gain the place
where he now stood, sullen and triumphant
Enraged! He was choking DIVING with rage;
and yet this kingly creature would not even
condescend to look in our direction
Why, L could feel his fearful rage as he now
walked on and around the edge of that granite
slab. At length he came opposite to where Law
crouchlng on :he further edge of nv column
he passed on without SO much as turning his
eyes in my direction. And yet felt, felt and
knew as distinctly as il he could have talked
and told me, that he was carefully measuring
the distance.
When the lion, in his stately round, came to
the narrow pass by which he had assembled
he paused an instant and half lowered his head
All, how devoutly did pray that he would
De generous enough to descend to the sands
and gracefully present us with his absence
But no! Lifting his huge head even higher
In the air than before, he now passed on hur-
riedly, came on around to where in his stately
majesty he stood with quivering flank and fash
Ing eye, almost within reach of ME. Yet he still
dsdained 10 even so much look at me- His
head Was far above me as / croucbed there on
the farther edge Of my column; his flashing ewes
were lifted and looking far above and beyond
me. Maybe he was on the lookout over the
desert for the coming Of his companion
Soon, however, he set his huge paws on the
very edge of the great slab on which he stood
and then suddenly threw his right paw out to-
ward me and against the edge of my column
with the force and velocity of a catapult.
heard the sharp, keen claws strike and
scrape on the granite az if they had been hooks
of steel.
Then he threw himself on his breast and
hltching himself little to one side he threw
his right paw SO far that it landed full in the
center or my column 3 top and tore a bit of nv
coat sleeve. Then he hitched his huge body
a little farther on over the edge and again
threw his huge paw right at my face. 1t fell
short OF its mark only few inches as it seemed
TO me- But having hastily gathered in my
garments his claws did not find ANYTHING to
fasten on and they drew back empty.
AT this point three dusky etchings stood out
against the golden east on the yellow sands and
looked lntently at us with their enormous heads
high III the air. And now the beast slowly arose
and moved on. A lions head seems always dis
proportionately large, but when he is exercis-
ing for an appetite to eat you it looks large in
deed
The monster whe was occupying the platform
with us surely saw his followers; indeed, be
must have seen them long before but his I'M
bending dignity seemed to forbid that he
should take any heed Of them.
The newborn hope that he would descend
and join his followers died as he came on
round
And now something strange and notable
TRANSFERRED. This one incident is nv excuse
Tor thus celebrating this otherwise passive and
tedlously dull sketch Of this night / had risen
to my feet, and as the lion came on around
this woman, with a force that was irresistible,
sprang to my side, thrust me behind her. and,
stepping forward with a single spring. she stood
ON the edge OF the column nearest to the lion.
would have followed, but that same force
which can now understand and which was a
mental force and not at all physical force,
held me hard and fast to where stood
She had let her robe fall she sprang for
ward and now stood q silhouette Of perfect
comeiness against the terrible aud bloody
leaned forward he came on around and
close to the edge of his slab. She looked him
firmly and steadily in the face, with her wondrous
eyes. her midnight eyes of ali Israel; the child
of the wilderness had once more met the lion
OF the desert a. of old
Who was this woman here who slept between
death and me and stood looking a wounded
hon III the face? Was this Judith again incar-
mater Or was this something more than
judith! Vas 1t the Priestess and the Prophecies
Miriam, back once more to the banks of the
Nile2 Was 1t the old and forgotten mastery of
all things animate which Moses and his sister
knew that gave her dominion over the king OF
the deserH Or was her name Mary? That
other Mary" If you will, who won all things to
her side. God in heaven, God upon earth, by