The Worthington advance., 1900-07-13
unusual shouting and the car gave .

great lurch. The next instant she saw
two white horses turning in furious
gallop across the street, and she real
lied that the span of leaders attached
to the car had become frightened. Be-
fore she had time to move, the whole
team turned away from the procession
and started on a run down a cross
street, closely followed by the van be-
hind. The lions set up terrible roar
ing as the ponderous car bounded over
the rough pavement, throwing the ami
mails against the bars with great vio-
lence. The girl held her whip threat
eningly towards the terrorized beasts,
managing to keep on her feet by hold
ing fast with one hand to an iron rod.
She had hoped that the driver would
regain control of the frightened horses,
but jolt more violent than those she
had already experienced threw the
man from his seat and she saw him fall
under the wheels. One of the horses
fell, and the other maddened brutes
dragged the car over him, stripping
the harness from his body.
The lions were now furious with
rage. Their eyes were glariag balls
Of fire and foam was flying from their
cleaning white teeth. Miss Dore real
lied that the car was passing down a
steep hill, and, glancing ahead as best
she could, she caught sight of a bridge.
Another instant of horror passed, and
the roaring waters of the Colorado
river, seemingly hundreds of feet be-
low the iron banisters of the bridge,
swirled in the shadowy depth between
great walls of rock. One of the lions
fell against the despairing girl, throw.
ing her across the cage, and as she
struggled to her feet she saw man
on a black horse fairly whiz by the
car. She heard the hoofs of the horses
strike the floor of the bridge.
II lost all hope," says Miss Dore,
''and I anticipated horrible death in
the water with the maddened lions
struggling over my body" There was
sudden crash, which threw both ami.
mails sprawling against the forward
end of the cage, and the frightened girl
fell across them. Quickly regaining
her feet, she was in the act of grasp.
ing the iron bars, when a collection OF
reptiles crashed against the side of the
car of lions. This cage was made of
glass, protected by iron rods. The
wheels of both cages interlocked and
the glass was shivered to atoms. The
lions sprang to their feet, roaring and
gnashing their teeth. Miss Dore stood
in front of them with her whip, but she
expected them to spring upon her and
tear her flesh to fragments.
The cages were motionless. She
moved backwards slowly towards the
door, not daring to take her eyes from
the lions. A monster semi-nude negro.
who occupied the den with the reptiles.
howled in little less lower tones than
the lions. The terror-stricken girl
heard hiss, and then she saw the head
and red, forked tongue of the African
anaconda swaying between her and
the lions. They were mad enough be.
fore; now they were insane with rage.
The snake was II feet long, and at least
half of the repulsive monster was al.
ready inside the cage, seemingly just
in the act of striking. my heart beat
and thumped,'' says Miss Dore, "as if it
were about to burst. A minute had
not passed since the cage stopped.
but it seemed like year. Iprayed out
loud for help, and was surprised when
I heard voice saying: The door is
nearly open. I can wrench it loose
I heard the noise of creaking iron and
felt something take hold of my dress
behind. Step right back, young lady,
said the voice, it will open enough for
you to squeeze through I kept my
eyes on the lions and slid back through
the door. I heard the awful roar OF
the lions and the kissing of the anacon.
da as they all rolled upon the floor OF
the den struggling in battle. My eyes
were closed, but my ears were open ia
catch the words of the multitude.
"One foot more and we would have
crashed over the bridge. He caught
the horses with his lariat and the cage
killed his pony as it fell against the
rail. 'Bravest cowboy ever lived'-'And
he with one arm broke heard all OF
that and more," says Miss Dore, land
I realized that some brave man had
| risked his life to save me from a hor-
rible death. I opened my eyes ard
looked into the face of the brave young
man whom married in the lions den
few moments ago."-Chicago Trib.
une.