The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-20

They are deceived. They live in a mfr age.
 1t was that which made of the boa bab sprout a giant fig tree in Tarascon. and of a man who had not gone to Shanghai, one who had been and re- l turned with glory. It was that which made the hunters gather ir Costecaldes shop exchange silent .inpulsive grips of the hand when they learned that menagerie had arrived in town with a real African lion. They felt as # the beast were already crouchinE Defore their guns
 Tartsrin was engaged at the time In explaining the working of the needle gun, then novelty. Blanched and az. itated, with the deadly arm stripped tightly, he brooded when he heard the exciting news. Suddenly with one convalsiys movement he shouldered me gun and turned to the brave Comfnand- ant Brayida tfoTmerly Eaptaaun % ,,,,ss sns calmly. quietly, understand. Lets go and have look at him
 with head erect TartArin stalked into the n.enaRcrie followed by ConimAndant | Ri avida and ali the cap-shooters. he- fore the lions cage he stopped. resfsa his hands on his gun barrel and gazed resoluteiy into the yellow eyes of the huge beast. . inc lion of Tarascon. he arose. sniRsd, growled hollowiy. threw ms leaFtu' jaws wide open and emitted oea1- With yell of fright Tarascon precipitated itself toward the exit. bearinE in it's very front the brave commandant himself Only one human being remained. It was Tartarin Of Tarascon. undaunted. gazing at the lion with lightning in his eye.
 
 near again. they heard him mutter: 'Now this is something like q hunt.i
 The next day there was nothing else talked of In town except the approach ing departure Of Tartarin for Algeria to hunt Hons Tartarin himself was surprised at the news. But he could not bear to deny 1t. So he replied: aAha. We shall sect" to the first few hundred inquiries and to the next he said: .'yery likely" And by after noon he answered: "It's certaing'
 That night at Costecade's and later at the club he was feted and could not resist the temptation of explain Ing his plans in full. They took him home with torches and huxzas.
 The next morning Tartarin decided that the start need not be immediate. Besides, he had to read up on Hons. From his faworIte authors he learned that the great hunters of big game hardened themselves well before an expedition. From that day he lived on water and broth, and to train him. self for long marches he began to trot around the town with bis elbows well set against his body and cou- pie of white pebbles in his mouth, according to the antique usage.
 Every dusk he went Into his garden and stayed there till 10 or II, alone with his gun. on the lookout behind aul~ Aak AFaI leR. erie tarried the people saw a mysterl~ ous figure lurking outside of, the tent. It was Tartarin. habituattns himself to hear without a tremor the roaring of the lion in the night.
 Cap-shooting actually stopped while Tartarln was thus preparing himself. The ladies fought for him, to hear Hons of the Atlas. At dinner parties the guests could hardly wait for tho coffee to be brought that they might ask questions. Then he would tell of the moonless nights when he would lie in wait. the scorpions. the ferocious Bedouins, and. most of all. the ani- mense naned lions.
 Heated with his recital he would bound to his feet, initiate the roar of lion and crack! bangi the report of the rifle. oversetting the chairs. ges- ticuIating, shouting. till everybody turned pale.
 Meantime, Tartarin did not start.
 Still, 1t might have redounded as much to his glory as the Chinese ex- petition, had 1t not been for an in- famous person. This was Costecaide. the gunsmith. He represented a type rare in Tarascon. He was a man yell low with chronic, constitutional, ever present envy. With him 1t was disease of which he was proud, as other people are of other diseases. With his fine Tarasconic temperament. he used to say: You don't know how bad 1t isl''
 "rhis is going to turn out like the Shanghai expedition" said CostecaIde. smiling bitterly after three months had passed It was winged sentence II flew through the town. When is that trip coming ofr?" people asked Tartarin whenever he appeared on the street Judge Ladevose wrote a poem about it. Tartarin had the humiliat- ing experience of hearing 1t sung though at a safe distance.
 He was aware that Tarascon was slipping out of his grasp. Only Bra vida the brave solder (of the gov ernnent clothing factory), remained faithful to him. "He is game" he per sisted In saying.
 At last. however, the public clamor grew too hot even for his faithful spirit. One day he buttoned himself up to ths ears. put on his black