The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-14

made a rapid shift in the opposite direc-
ton, and avoided by almost a hair s
breadth being crushed breathless beneath
the lions bulk.
Quick as lightning's fash the lion turn
ed once more, crouching low in the dust
his eye warmly seeking some weak spot
in the armor of this strange antagonist,
whose 1.-THE limbs and sinuous movements
puzzled him. and who showed less signs
of fear facing him here in open fight than
the crowds of frail humanity who had
Knocked and jeered him so often from the
same side of his prison bars, but who
shrank back af1righted when in his wrath
he gave his awful battle roar. He must
adopt different tactics.
This time with cat-like tread, he slowly
advanced upon his adversary, striving, as
though conscious. of his power and
strength, to drive him back and pen him
helplessly and without chance of escape
against the side of the ring and then to
seize him at his leisure, and rend him
limb from limb revengefully and remorse-
Paoio was also thinking. When would
the soldiers come? Could he survive to
carry on the unequal struggle till they ar
rived?
But while thinking not muscle relaxed
Every nerve and fiber on the qui vive, he
watched and met with corresponding eau
ton the slightest movement of the enemy
shifting and turning with all the skill of
the practical athlete.
Seeing the lions tactics, he gradually
managed to skirmish toward the ring,
through by so doing he passed within a
few feet of his nose.
Come on, scipio,'' he said aloud, with a
gay bravado, he little felt, this is not
how lions fight" And he made a slight
feint, as though playfully to touch his
adversary on the head.
With deep, hollow roar of anger Scipio
reered aloft on his hind legs, and, throw
ing all prudence to the winds, and realiz-
ing that the momentous struggle had come
at last, Paolo rushed madly at him-man
and beast closing in a terrible death-grap-
pie; the lion continuing erect, as though
wishful to wrestle on equal terms with the
brave biped
In the swift onrush Paolo dropped his
dagger, and now, weaponless but frenzied
with rage and despair, he exerted every
atom of his marvellous strength, and with
beast
But Scipio's mighty claws were busy,
and the blood lust was on him, too, GRIM
son streaks through Paolo's 'tunic MAX
ing it apparent to the fascinated behold
erS that this little wrestling match was
not all that it seemed. And many timid
heart, sickened by the sight of blood,
edged furtively toward the nearest out
But bark! What sound is this that
breaks the spell and causes the low Whis-
per of inquiry to swell into a babel of
tongues? The tramp of armed men! In
another moment the semi-solitude of the
arena is broken by the appearance of a
body of soldiers from the neighboring
barracks, all conveFging rapidly on the
point where lay the doughty combattants.
snort Shfl1t Tor Sclplo! The young OF
fcer in command, hastily disengaging a
revolver from his belt, fires, one, two.
three shots into the PROSTATE brutes ear,
and with one mighty groan the spirit of
the erring Scipio returns to haunt the
solitudes of the African deserts
Tender hands lift Paolo, unconscious,
bleeding, and nigh to death. He is borne
from the arena as the audience slowly
files from the building under the master
full direction of some of the soldiers told
off for the purpose-silent, awestricken,
rfr1cr mol L Inc
In a peaceful little God s-acre Just out
side the walls of Paris sleeps Paolo. His
grave all the year round blooms with love-
" flowers and its fond tending shows
that, though his body has passed away,
his memory still fiourishes as brightly as
the blossoms that wave over him.