The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-07-26
CAPTURED BY A LION.
An Adventure With a King Of tho
Indian Jungle.

Among the crowd that gathered about
the lions cage In the Geological gar
dens one fine day recently the writer
observed a middle-agea gentleman hold
ing by the hand two children Of about
eight or ten years OF age. Tho gentle
mans erect and soldierly bearing be-
traycd at once his calling, oven had not
the Victoria cross ho wore on his breast
done so.
WAS the lion you killed. grandpa, a.
big as this one2" asked the boy.
''Well, TO my frightened eyes, Arthur,
he seemed three times the size, but can
truthfully say no was quite as large as
this one replied the old soldier, as tho
children led him 10 seat near BY and
implorcd TINT tho story DO told them
whore the big Hon could illustrate Il AZ
no words could do; and, interested by
what had already heard, took the
liberty Of seating myself on tho same
bench and listening 70 the rest. The
gentleman saw me and understood my
desire, but only smiled beneyolcntly
and went on,
You two have heard al about Il
many times, but suppose there Is
nothing for me 70 do but tell II again.
Well, then, In 1878 ] obtained fur
Tough Of n month. which, with three
other friends, meant 20 spend In d
grand hunt III the great forest that lay
within half d mile Of the station where
we were camped. had boon In In
dia nearly year, and WINS beginning
to get tired Of the Inquiries that caIfo
iR every letter from England MS TO
whether had yet killed q tiger So
now resolved TO kill one or know the
reason why But day after day we
went further and further into the Jun.
gle without meeting any big game that
we thought worth pursuing. We had .
native with us named Ram Hiatt, who
occasionally warned US that we were
getting into dangerous and nnfre-
quented part OF the country which,
hunter as he was, he had never pene-
tratcd; but this was the very thing we
wanted, 50 pushed on, thinking we
must surely run across tiger soon,
One day, very hot one, that even In
the forest nenrly FRUSTRATED us, we
were camped on the bank Of little
river Haiti called tho M, and toward
the afternoon my friends proposed to
take swim In the stream. was feel
ing rather nnwell, SO did not Join
them, but remained lying beneath the
trees and doing at intervals. Ram
Haiti went with the others, and so
was left alonc. | had dozed longer
than usual when was awakened by
feeling something warm and damp
touch my hand, that was thrown out
beside me.
Opening my eyes, 70 my astonish-
ment saw q hugo beast standing over
me, snuffing at my clothes and limbs.
Here Is my tiger at last, / said. But
one glance at the creatures tawny
skin, and at the splendid name that
swept the ground, told mo that my
visitor was not tiger, but lion,
and magnificent male at that. He
was evidently trying 70 see II was
dead, for he kept sticking HIS nose In
my face in way that might have
found comical but for tho gravity Of
the situation. / continued to eye
him through my half-shut lids and
hoped that he would presently decide
to go away. But Just here heard the
voices Of my companions returning
from their bath, and one--a light
headed subaltern was singing some
camp ballad at the top Of his voice.
The lion paused and listened, and then,
In Q sudden panic, sprang towards the
Jungle. and was congratulating my
self on this swift and pleasant
termination Of my adventure when
the royal beast glanced back and our
eyes Met.
"He gave roar and then leaped to-
ward me. as II he meant to have me in
defiance Of the approaching enemy. I
closed my eyes at once, but 1t was too
late, and the next moment the lion had
fastened his teeth In the sleeve Of my
coat and was dragging me after him
into the thicket There was NO use
struggling with the now frightened
brute, who would turn and rend me In
q moment. SO ! allowed him to carry
me whittier he would for did not
Ioubt that my friends would be on his
trail as soon as they missed me.
helped myself on all could. for /
found that IL lay inert the effort
y the animal to drag me over the un-
lergrowth,N thorns and fallen boughs
Tould soon rake away every inch Of
skin from OF my body. Soy assisted
aim ALL could IN getting myself over
NJ -.