Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-19
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nance, turned rom MS 1oIEy post or oU-
servation, and with tremendous leaps
made his way down the rocky sides Of
the canyon.
The first conner, seeing that instead
of his mate an unlimited guest had come
to wrest his prey from him, awaited his
appearance with answering cries of de-
iance and challenge, walking round
and round the dead antelope with a
tread of majesty and impotence. The
second lion paused on a rock rising
some twenty feet from the bottom of
the gorge, and, gathering himself up,
sprang down almost upon the other,
which recoiled for one second, and
then flung himself upon his foe.
Over and over the two rolled, fill
ing the ravine with the thunder Of their
roars, and fighting like demons with
gaping mouths and battling paws. Then,
as il with one accord, they would draw
apart, painting and exhausted, but alert
for the slightest movement on the
others part, and then rush back to the
fray, screaming with renewed fury.
The scene presently had another spec
tator, which, spied by one of the hunters,
was pointed out to the other. This was
a ioness, which appeared on the top Of
one of the crags lining the side Of the
canyon, and, walking up and down, en-
couraged the combatants with furious
cries, but made no attempt to descend
and take part in the battle The hunt
ers, fascinated by the splendid sight Of
two fearless, kingly beasts engaged in
mortal combat, were also indisposed to
interfere, and watched it first from be-
hind rocks and bushes, but, finding
themselves unnoticed, gradually drew
nearer, although still content to remain
at some distance from the rolling, plung-
ing creatures.
The second lion was evidently getting
the best of the larger, which continued,
however, to fight with undiminished
fury, though his shoulder, torn to shreds,
was bleeding so that the ground for
yards about was crimson with the life
fluid. He succeeded, in spite of his
growing weakness, in laying hold Of his
antagonists throat, and could he have
fought off death little longer would
undoubtedly have avenged himself, but
the other with sudden exertion, flung
the dying lion off, and with one last
feeble effort to stagger to his feet the
big lion fell back dead.
His conqueror placed both fore feet
on the head of his foe and roared aloud
his triumph. The lioness at this came
leaping down into the gorge and, though
the lion turned upon her as if she was
stranger, her fawning attitude soon con-
WINGED him that she came with no hostile
intent, and the two then proceeded to
inspect the dead gladiator, after which
they began to devour the antelope. The
hunters at this point concluded that this
was their opportunity for bagging their
lordly game, and, firing together, adj
vanced on the pair. The lioness unhurt
sprang up the side of the gorge, and
Ieaping with tremendous bounds from
one rock to another soon disappeared.
The lion, however, was wounded in
the forequarter, though but slightly,
and at first showed fight; but as he saw
the number of his assailants sprang to-
ward the hunter who happened TO be
nearest him, and. upsetting that gentle
man by the suddenness and force Of the
blow, leaped from Che PROSTATE body
to the top of a bowlder near by. A
second volley from the party appeared
to miss him altogether, and turning he
fed up the incline and disappeared in
the same direction the ioness had
taken, though the hunters fred at him
at every glimpse they caught of his
body.
The dead lion was tremendous fell
low, measuring nine feet from the tip
of his black nose to the end of the long,
cat-like tail. He was mass of wounds,
and his skin so badly torn that It was
not worth preserving. His victim, the
antelope, was found 10 have had it,
back broken, probsly by the lion a. Il
hurled itself upon it. 1t Is thought By
the hunters that the ioness was the
mate of the larger lion and brought on
the scene by his cries when he killed
the antelope, but that she, after the
manner of others Of her sex, had
thought it best to curry the favor OF the
conoueror with an eye to sharing the
bone of contention. - Philadelphia
Times.