The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-23

able stampedes in drawing-rooms and
crowded shops and cars. She taught him
number of amusing tricks. Downing a
very loose dress for the purpose, she would
cause Master Boa to enter one of her sleeves
at the wrist, crawl up her arm, across her
bosom, down the other arm and out at the
wristband of the other sleeve. he would
conceal himself at the bottom of her work
basket, and when she sung TO him would
come wriggling his way up through the
contents to the top While she sat sewing
in her boudoir his snakeship would lie
coiled up on her lap, aud he was in every
way as docile and playful a pet as any
kitten.
THE AUSTRALIAN HAIRLESS HORSE.
Many years ago, when that wonderful
country of Australia with its discoveries of
gold was attracting general attention, | dis
patched an agent thither with instructions
TO lind and bring me, if possible, some
hitherto unknown animal or some unparal-
leled freak of animal nature He fulfilled
his mission by cutting out of wild herd
and lassoing "A hairless horse-a huge, awk>
ward beast without the slightest vestige OF
n hair upon any part of its body. Its skin
was of a dark blush cast and singularly
smooth and shiny. 1t gained flesh after a
time, and was then transformed, withits
high neck and crest-though it was wholly
destitute of mane-into quite a handsome
animal, looking very much like statuesuue
horse cast from some kind of metal. It was
remarkably intelligent and docile, and
proved strong attraction at my museum
at Broadway and Ann street.
MANS CUNNING OVER ANIMALS.
1t is remarkable fact that no animal is
large enough or formidable enough to de-
feat the attempts of man to capture and
| control him. There is no more convincing
| proof OF mans superiority than this fact.
| Even the lowest savages have shown them
selves able to capture and kill the strongest
aud most ferocious animals. There is no
limit to mans daring. and there is no ami
NAL that he will not attempt to make pris-
| oner. 1t is the superior intelligence of man
which enables him to do this. The size
and strength of the beast count for
nothing against his cunning and artiice.
| From time immemorial men have spread
| loop in which to catch the foot of the ele-
| plant, and have baited stick sharpened at
both ends to catch the crocodile. Many of
the auimals which develop the organ of
wonder in frequenters Of menageries and
geological gardens are captured by cunning
| devices of similar nature, but an agent
whom | once employed to procure me
an African lion did not resort
to anything of that kind. He
was q rash, foolhardy fellow, though
did not know it at that time, and these
| qualities led him on the occasion TO which |
have referred into a very dangerous ad-
| venture which he 6fterward delighted to
relate Arrived on the coast of Africa he
was Hospitality entertained by one of the
native kings, and one fine day set off into
| the interior, accompanied only by q native
| boy and armed with pistol and an old
musket Of very large dimensions, having a
| flint lock and heavy iron ramrod. What
| subsequently, happened will let him tell In
| his own words:
STORY OF THE LION HUNTER.
Having walked some distance through a
| forest OF palm trees, we a. length emerged
upon the edge of a beautiful plain that
stretched as far as the eye could reach, with
| only here and there single tree or little
| clumps of two or three, each about the hight
Of full-grown man. Upon their clumsy
| looking trunks there was not single
branch, but from their tops grew out vast
| tutb OF long, straight spikes resembling
! broadsword blades IN shape. Around one
of these trees there was a bed Of tall
| grass which seemed trampled and tossed
| as though some large animal had passed
through it and rolled in it. We approached
this tree, and desiring to rest after my walk
| placed my musket against its trunk. AS
| though my doing 80 had been a signal, d
huge lion leaped up out of the grass not
twenty feet from where stood. and after
gazing at us for a few moments turned
| dropped his tail and moved softly AWAY
Immediately raised my musket to my shoul-
der and fred. but the only effect upon the
lion was to cause him to turn in his tracks
| and come bounding toward the tree with a
loud and angry scream.
| GETTING INTO CLOSE QUARTERS.
"There was no time to reload the musket
| SEEKING the native boy in my arms | held
him up above my head so that he could
reach one of the branches Of the tree and
| Chamber into 1t. then assembled myself, by
| placing my feet upon the knots and notches
| in its trunk-the scars of old leaf marks
that had long ago fallen Off. | was not a
moment too quick, for just as l drew my
last foot up into the tree. the lion,
| who had by this time arrived on the spot,
struck at it with his paw, ana missed me by
| barely an inch or two. Fooled in his inten-
ton Of Immediately making mincemeat of
| US, aud being unable to reach us, he trotted
| a few PAGES away and crouched down in the
| grass, evidently with the intention Of re-
manning there till we should be compelled
to come down.
THE MONARCH OF THE FOREST LAY DEAD.
There was my gun lying at the bottom of
| the tree. II could only get hold of it and
reload it l might yet take the lions skin
and save my own. Fortunately had with
| me a long stout cord. Now il could only
mako a running moose on the end of this
cord. get it around the gun, and so draw
the latter up, our escape was certain. The
moose was soon made and lowered until it
rested upon the earth just in front Of the
! pluZzle OF the musket. | drew it slowly
! along the grass. Fortunately the barrel
did not lie close to the surface. and the cord
passed easily beneath it, but was not sat
! isfled until had worked nay moose nearly
to the middle of both barrel and stock, and
| quite over one of the sWivels.
Tightening the moose by jerk, in an
other half -minute my gun was in my grasp.
| Reloading was but the work OF few mo-
ments. Desiring the lion to come nearer
that | might have q sure shot, | directed
the native boy TO fire my pistol directly
at the beasts head. He did SO. and the
creature bounded forward to within ten
PAGES Of the muzzle of my gun, roaring and
striking his sides with his tail. Taking care
| full aim at the creatures breast pulled the
trigger. When the reverberation of the
| discharge and the cloud of smoke to which
| it gave rise had passed away we could SEQ
the monarch of the forest lying motionless
| and dead"