The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-18
AND The NEGao sL6Pr ON.
How the Slumbering Sambo Was Res
cued From the Lions Grasp.
From the Neto York sun.


From the Ne,0 York Sun.
The halt-hreed and had been away from
| camp several hours, leaving only SAM the
colored man, there, and were returning by
the mountain trail. The last bend in this
trail was seventy or eighty roads to the
west of our camp and 200 feet above it, and
we instinctively paused for look.
There we're two tents. the horses and
mules picketed beyond. a smoldering camp
| fire, the negro lying on the broad Of his
back, with his head toward US. 1t was 3
o'clock in the afternoon of a summers day.
Sam was apparently doing, for it seemed
an effort for him to raise hand to brush
away the flies which persisted in settling on
his face.
We were about to 90 on when Joe sud
denly caught his breath and grasped my
arm and pointed to space about half way
between the base of the bluff and the camp.
There was a sort Of natural drain or furrow
running along the earth, deepening in our
direction and here and there was bunch
of weeds to prove little dampness. The
grass was greeuer, too, but not high enough
to shelter a rabbit
1t was half q minute before l could make
out the cause of Joe's alarm. Then my eyes
rested on full-grown mountain lion work.
ing his way up that furrow. He had al
ready accomplished half the distance, and
just at that moment lifted himself almost
erect to take peep at the negro.
LET US CRY out and warn him." whis-
pered.
at is too late" replied ice. "Should he
get up the beast would be upon him In a
FASH
Then shoot"
"It Is too far"
You have seen a hunter stalking game,
but here was fierce and hungry wild beast
stalking a deIenseless man. The scene was
as plain and clear before us as If the dis
tance were only stones throw. After the
first few words we were silent. After the
first move to use our rifles we simply waited.
We certainly intended to do something, but
wait See
1t was sight ever to be remembered to
watch that lion making his way up the fur-
row. He advanced foot by foot. He fiat
tened out until you would have thought
him skin spread out to be cured and he
dragged himself along the earth. You knew
he moved, but you saw no motion except
that Of his tail. Moving ahead or lying
quiet, the tail switched back and forth with
scarcely seconds interval. About every
minute one of the negro's hands was lazily
raised and waved across his face. When
this happened the lion, who could plainly
see the blacks paw sweep the air, settled
down as il to spring. In the intervals he
crept forward.
We stood there ike men of stone and
saw the distance decrease foot by foot
The lion had hundred feet 10 creep,
when my mustang, feeding at least
300 feet from the other edge OF
the camp, raised his head and shifted
the air. The scent of the lion had come
down to him. He must have seen us, as we
stood out In plain view, but he did not
whinny, as both of US feared he would.
Half a minute later Joe's pony also got the
scout, and started out at fast walk. The
lian remained as quiet as If dead for a full
minute. waiting to see il the movement Of
the horses would arouse the man. 1t did
not. Sam had grown more drowsy, and his
hand was raised at longer intervals. Now
the tufted tail waves to aud fro again and
now the distance is again decreased. Foot
by foot, and l had forgotten everything
else on earth in watching the progress
Now it 10 sixty feet-now tifty-now forty
now the lion has settled down for leap
which will land him on the body of the
sleeping man, when l hear the crack of a
rifle, see the beast rear up and fall back
ward and struggle, and | sit down with
shaking knees and palpitating heart II
was Joe who fired the shot from his old
fashioned, long-barreled rife. He had only
the faintest hope, but it was dead shot
the bullet entering the back Of bis back.
The beast died hard. His limbs were yet
twitching as we reached the spot. Never
bad hunter in the west seen larger hon.
He had the strength to pull down bull
The negros We found him asleep. of course.