, 1896-03-23
FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Colorado Mountaineer Attacked
BY a Lion.
AT THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
The FerOciOus Beast Overcome After
Terrible Struggle In the Dark
No Time FOR Par
leying.

Mound City. Colo. March 22.-P. J..
Hannah. who lives with his two part
ners, r. L. Hubbard and w. Z. Gallup,
in a rough cabin in the mountains east
OF this place, had a desperate encoun
ter a few nights since with a noun
Hubbard had walked over to Cripple
Creek, taking with Them The only dog
in the place. and Hannah, a young
man. was left alone in the cabin.
The only door to the place had no
fastening except a button on the inside
and a string to make it close easily
after being opened. After reading a
few hours he left the door ajar, blew
out the light and went to bed.
He was awakened by the door creak.
ing on its hinges some time later. but
raid no attention to it, thinking his
dog had returned in advance of his
comrades.
There was some fresh meat in a box
under the table and n few seconds
later he heard what he supposed was
the dog at the meat. Raising his head
he was electrified 90 see standing in the
dim light from the window a huge
beast, with eyes like balls of fire. His
brain reeled and for some time he en-
tirely lost his senses, but when he re-
gained them he reached for a small
caiiber revolver under his pillow and
with rapid beating heart he waited to
see what his visitor would do next,
hoping that he would go out as he
came in, without taking any notice of
the occupant of the bunk.
The door, however, had closed be.
hind the lion. After eating the meat
he looked at the window as though he
would jump through il and then turn
ed and went direct toward the bed il
which Hannah lay.
SHOT AT THE LION.
There was no time for parleying and
with his heart beating like a trip ham,
Nor, Hannah raised his revolver and
fred and at the same time the lion
made a spring at him. Hannah in
stantly threw the bed clothes in front
of him and the lion fastened upon
them and fell upon the floor, tearing.
gnawing, biting and t%hreshing in a ter,
rible manner.
While thus engaged Hannah sprang
out of bed and ran up quite close to
the beast and fred into his body again.
The beast now sprang at Hannah and
he was about to fire again, when the
lion fell and his weight knocked the
boy onto his back. from which posi-
ton lie fired two more shots at the AMI.
nal, neither of which took effect.
When he managed to get on his feet
he found the lion dying After firing
the remaining shot into his body, Han.
nan lighted a candle and began to take
an inventory of the damages. He had
three scratches, one on the right
shoulder and two on the left thigh.
which were quite deep and painful.
About ten pounds of beef were gone
s. worth of bed clothes were torn up
into carpet rags and about as fright
ened a boy as ever passed a sleepless
night alone with a mountain lion. His
companions who were returning heard
the shots, hurried into the cabin and
were speeches. at the sight. The hide
was removed and will be kept as a
trophy of the greatest adventure OF
Humans life. Hannah, the young
man, is very modest in relating his
adventure and concludes with the
statement, THAT was once when good
luck was on my side"