Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-24

sounded remarkably like human curse.
One after another all the lions had try
at the jump, but all failed to reach the
limbs of the tree.
FINALLY the old lion called another;
consultation, and when it broke up saw
in his eye that something was going to
happen. About 80 feet away from my
tree was the stump Of another some 80
feet high ana studded from top to bottom
with the remains of dead branches. If it
should fall over toward me, it would GER
tainly catch on by projecting branch of
my tree and would furnish nicely inclin-
ed plane Up which whole tribe of lions
could easily walk. / did not realize this
at first, but nevertheless as the lions
walked over and took positions bemnd it,
shuddered with apprehension.
"The big wounded one was the first to
act. Bounding gracefully along the
ground, he sprung high in the air and
struck the dead stump some 10 feet above
the ground, making it culver and creak.
1t did not fall, however. and the lion
dropped to the ground. He was quickly
followed by another and another and an
other, each springing against the stump
with all his might, until to my dazed
eyes the air seemed full Of tumbling
lions.
But the stump held splendidly, and 1
was beginning to feel safe again and to
take some, interest in the unprecedented
show when the big one again called a
conference. The stump was held from
falling by n large root that extended di-
rectly away from my position, thus eX-
erting its greatest leverage against the
efforts Of the lions. 1t lay in plain sight
on the surface of the ground, and you can
Imagine how my heart sank when saw
the lions form in double row along it
and proceed to claw it up. Then knew
the end WINS near. Deprived of that root,
the stump would fall at the first assault,
and an instant later the lions would be
upon me. Already could feel their jaws,
crunching my bones.
Suddenly last chance entered my
head. There was, but one branch on my
tree that extended in the proper direc-
ton to catch the stump as it fell. If I
could cut that off, the stump might miss
me and go crashing to the ground. For
tunately had at hand the. saw of which
spoke moment ago. l seized it aud
began to saw through the limb. You can
imagine how / worked, but the wood was
green and the saw small, and ! made
slow progress. Besides, the lions heard
the saw and probably guessed what I
was doing, for they redoubled their eff
forts.
''At last the branch was half sawed
through, but the root was wholly gone,
and the lions backed away and formed
up for the spring. The big lion again
took the lead. Swish! he came through
the air, striking the stump at least 20
feet above the ground. 1t reeled, creaked
and fell slowly at first, but with gather
ing speed. Crash! it came against my
limb, and the next second the whole
string of lions was swarming up it.
But their haste saved my life. A.
large lion weighs quite quarter of a
ton, and when four of them were on the
trunk their combined weight proved too
much for the half sawed branch. 1t gave
way, and stump and branch and lions
went down in a heap together, while l
chung to the remainder of the tree, with
a great cash across my knee, where the
big lion had touched me before he fell.
So near a thing it was!
We'll, there isn't much more to tell.
The lions looked disguised, as they prob
ably were, and they all walked sedately
away. Three hours later the exploring
parties came back.
Did they believe my account of the
night? OF course they did. Hadn't
the trees, and the sawed limb, and the
cash in my knee to prove itY-Philadel-
phia Press.