The morning call., 1893-06-11

a certain way, but that lie had 4 narrow
escape. The first night he spent there he
wished he was well out of the hole. and
now he couldn't be bought to go back to
the place. He says he was lucky to
escape with his life.
According to Eds sstory he was taken
over an awful rough piece of country and
finally arrived ct the brink of a precipice.
down which ii seemed impossible tn de-
scend. Jim pointed out his house, which
could be ilAinly seen on the bottom, and
said it would take them several hours to
reach it by n safe trail. There were many
etberS which could be descended in a verv
short time, but they were danger us for a
person not used to them, and one false step
1t ard work. even descending, and
s @ r5os aPra Ta vi !,s2sa sq%a, I,sd of dsF iasi
hitinCN aces and hurry out of the way.
No human being could safely venture
into the place at night. or even IN the day
time for that matter. Nearly every rock
that had q recess behind it was the home
OF sOr2e wild beast. and the bottom of the
canyon was covered with the bones of ami
mails that had heen dragged there from the
surrounding hills and devoured.
The animals seemed afraid of Jim, and
he simply paid DO attention to them, but
devoted ali his time TO making the descent
easy for bis guest.
.Iim's house was reached quite early in
the afternoon, alth ough the canyon was
so gloomy il seemed as If twilight was
blending into darkness. 1t was a very
large log house, built in the heaviest man
ner, and surrounded by great many
smaller buildings and \ corral of very ne
culiar construction. This attracted Eds
attention at the time, but he did not ask
any questions. as he was quite surprised
atthings which he saw on all sides.
They entered the house and went into
q large room furnished in a most comfort
able manner. The air was slightly cold
and Eds host went TO the fireplace and
soon had large fire roaring up the chin
nev. The light illuminated the room and
when jim got up from the hearth Ed was
surprised TO see a large African lion come
out of the shadows of a corner and rub its
nose against his cheek i'll an affectiouate
manner.
For few minutes Ed did not know
whether he was awake or asleep, but his
host made all clear TO him by explaining
that The lion was tame one that he had
bought when it was a cub year or two
ago in San Francisco from a dealer who
brought over several on one Of the China
steamers.
The lion was as tame as a kitten. but Ed
was not used TO such beasts around him,
and he did not feel anv too comfortable.
AS both were tired his host prepared
a light supper and then showed Ed to his
luUEis " uiCu was idEnS anu comfortably
furnished. In short time he was asleep,
but ke an hour or so later hearing a
pandem Onium of howls around the house.
1t seemed as if all the wild beasts in the
country were bowling and scratching at
the doors and windows. Ed reached for
his revolverS and quickly put on n few
clothes eXpecting any N oment II have the
animals effect an entrance and force him
10 fight Il lew minutes and then die 1t
seemed as il nothing else could happen, so
mauJ and feroclouS were the wild beasts.
But the howling continued. and as none
got inside Ed got a little more courage
and lighting candle went toward tn q
window cautiously. he looked out and
saw dozen pairs of glaring eyes and as
many claws reaching between heavy iron
grating mat was over the window. His
courage all came back in an instant when
~ Sd" mat IL was next To impossible for
the animals to get inside
He even felt a sort of fascination in
watchlHg the ferociOus efforts of the ami
mails, but soon thnnght of his host ono
wondered # he had been as fortnnataiu
protected. Perhaps lie had been doypured
bUHTS ago.
Ell cautiously opened the door of his
room and stepped into the hall Tbere
was bowling and snorting at the frnnt
door, and then it entered Eds head that he
did not know " hIch was his hosts room.
lie went lpto the parl0r. and there heard
tHF diilth"iS "dlkth4 over the roof and
snarling around The top of the chimney.
But Tie room was empty and the fire
had burned very low so that only a slight
glow Game Of the smoldering ashes. Ed
scraped then! together and put few sticks
on t0p and famed it into blaze. In a
moment the animals tumbled off the
cllnnney, some onto the root and Others
onto the ground.
Ed left The fire feeling sure no ANIMALS
would get in that way. and went to seek
his host. He found him in wing Of the
structure seated before wi; dow with a
candle behind him watching the howllng
and struggling animals trying to get
through the bars.
They fought aud scratched at one
another as j. each was afraid the other
would be the first to get the prey
An THIS seemed TO thrill Jim with pleas
ule, and every few minutes he would give