The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-09-27

! Ouly d lew COdlS were VlSlDl6 WneFe
the cracking blaze had been.
Being warm and comfortable, l did
not trouble myself about the fire know
! ing that could rekindle it when morn
ing came. had relied upon it to keep
the wild animals away; but now thas
the moon had risen, was not much
afraid of wild animals.
BY the light Of the moon l could see
Ccaly and Lep lying few yards away,
both chewing their cuds contentedly.
A wolf was bowling in the distance,
and little screech owl was uttering
its peculiar cry somewhere up the
side of the gorge. was on the point
of falling asleep again when a slight
noise near me caused me to raise
my head. AS l did so low growl froze
my blood.
A yard or two from my feet, on the
other side of where the fire had been,
stood an animal larger than dog. He
was looking straight at me, evidently
preparing to attack.
| had never seen a mountain lion
till then, but the instant my eyes rest
ed upon the animal | knew what it
was. A chill Of horror ran over me as
sat there, half paralyzed by fear.
One saying that l had heard from
child was that mountain lion will
not attack as long as you look it stead
lily in the eye. Now, being utterly at
the lions mercy, l had presence of
mind enough, in spite of my terror, to
make the attempt. 1t was all l could
do
do not think there was anything
in my wavering gaze very terrifying to
that lion. At least he did not show
any symptoms of fear.
AS I sat watching him with a terri
fled, fascinated gaze he crouched as if
for a spring and uttered another growl
deep and fierce. seemed to see his
hair stand on end. was too much
dazed to move, even if l could have
done so, I was at the animals mercy.
But instead of springing, he straight
ened up, and began to circle slowly
around me, keeping at about the same
distanme. Perhaps he was trying to
get behind me.
AS he moved he kept his eyes fixed
upon me, and I returned his gaze as
steadily as | could Several times
he stopped and seemed to be getting
ready for a spring. but as often moved
on again in a circle, uttering frequent
growls, while l turned in bed, and new
er once took my eyes from his. l ex-
pected every moment to see him COM
ing through the air toward me, and
doubtless he would have sprung had
not something occurred which neither
he nor l had counted upon.
Pretty soon after making the dis
coyery that the beast was near l had
heard the oxen spring to their feet,
both putting as if alarmed. Later, as
the lion was circling round me and
growing, l could hear them tramping
restlessly and Juggling at their ropes
till the cedars to which they were
tied shook audibly.
The lion himself was too much oc-
cupied with me to pay any attention
to the oxen. He seemed to have made
up his mind that would make pala-
table supper, and as he had probably
not eaten for several days, he felt lit
tie interest in anything else just then.
AS for me, although l heard the
OXen's movements, | did not dare to
turn my eyes away from the lion long
enough to see what they were doing.
But while the beast was hesitating
heard a low, coarse below, followed by
a shaking of a tree, as if one Of the
oxen was throwing his weight against
the rope that held him. Then came a
tramping of hoofs over the rocky
ground, and I turned my head just in
time to see Coalys huge figure, black
as midnight, as he rushed by me and
made straight for the lion.
The beast was giving his whole at
tention to me, and seemed to be taken
by surprise. He uttered fierce growl
of rage, and then attempted to put him
self in a defensive attitude; but be-
fore he could do so COaly was upon
him. The next moment the lion, big
as he was, shot up into the air, toss
ed by the powerful horns of the black
OK.
Here 1 recovered my presence of
mind somewhat, sprang up, ran to the
nearest tree, and hastily scrambled up
as far as 1 dared to go. Even then
| was only eight or ten feet above the
ground, and / knew the lion could
climb; but l felt comparatively safe,
for the beast was too busy with other
matters just then to give further at
tention to me.
When he struck the ground, after be-
ing tossed upward, he was in a great