The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-09-13
not much afrai of wild animals.

tentedly. A wf was bowling in tn
distance, and tile screech owl wa
uttering its pecliar cry somewher
up the side of tb gorge. | was OF
the point Of falliE asleep again whe
a slight noise nee me caused me t.
raise my head. Is l did so a lov
growl froze my bod.
A yard or two som my feet, on th
other side of whe1 the fire had been
stood an animal rger than dog
He was looking slight at me, evi
IDENTIFY preparing tattack.
had never seela mountain lior
till then, but theinstant my eye1
rested upon the anial I knew what
it was. A chill ofborror ran over
me as l sat there, ilf paralyzed by
fear.
| One saying that lad heard from
child was that q mqntaln lion will
not attack as long IS you look it
steadily in the eye. Vow, being ut.
terly at the lions mey, had pres
ence of mind enough,n spite of my
terror, to make the aempt. 1t was
all 1 could do.
/ do not think tbertwas ANYTHING
in my wavering gaze sry terrifying
to that lion. At leastie did not show
any symptoms of fear.
AS l sat watching h, with a ter.
rifed, fascinated gaze crouched as
if for spring and u,ered another
growl deep and fierce. | seemed to
see his hair stand on en-. was too
much dazed to move, evn if l could
have done so, | was at the animals
mercy.
But instead Of springig, be Straight
ened up, and began to circle slowly
around me, keeping at about tie same
distance. Perhaps he was trying to
get behind me.
As he moved be kept bis eye fixed
upon me, and l returned bis gze as
steadily as could. Several tines be
stopped and seemed to be ;etting
ready for spring, but as oftenm moved
on again in a circle, but al softs NOV
ed on again in circle, utterig fire.
quent growls, while I turned j bed,
and never once took my eye: from
his. l expected every momento see
him coming. through the sir ,ward
me, and doubtless be would have
sprung had not something dsurred
which neither nor | had Sunted
upon.
Pretty soon after making tie is.
covery that the beast was nea had
heard the oxen spring to THEN Ieet,
both putting as if alarmed. Laer, as
the lion was circling round re and
growing, could hear them Hmplng
restlessly and tugging at tbr ropes
till the cedars to which icy were
tied shook audibly.
The lion himself was to much oc-
cupied with me to pay az attention
to the oxen. He seemedo have made
up his mind that | woti make pal
atable supper, and as had probably
not eaten for several Ays, be felt 1T
tie interest in anythg else just then
AS for me, althcgh | heard the
oxen's movements, did not dare to
turn my eyes ava from the non long
enough to see whS they were dong
But while the least was hesltatlng
l heard low, coarse bellcTV, followed
by shaking of tree, asif one of the
oxen was throwing his weight against
the ope~that beld him. Then came
tramping OF hoofs ger the rocky
ground, and turnedmy head just in
time to see Coaly's lage figure, black
as midnight, as he nshed by me and
made straight for ne lion.
The beast was giving his whole at
tention to me, ard seemed to be taken
by surprise. He uttered fierce
growl ofrage, and then attempted to
put himself in a defensive attitude;
but before be could do SO Coaly was
unon him. The next moment the
lion, big as be was, shot up into the
air, tossed by the powerful horns OF
the black OK.
Here | recovered my presence OF
mind somewhat, sprang up, ran to the
nearest tree, and hastily scrambled up
as far AZ dared to 90. Even then l
was only eight or ten feet above the
cro,nd and | knew the lion couid
elimh. hut I felt comparatively safe
for the beast was too busy with other
.tters lust then +, give further at,
tention to me.
When he struck the ground after
,o,,o t,ssed upward, he was in great
uoo. Insttad Of waiting to be gored