The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-20


''Tartarin of Tarascon. lien killeri"
yours must be terrible profession"
said a photographer who was a fellow
passenger, IT have heard that Monsieur
Bombonnel-"
"Oh, yes the panther killer" said Tar
| tarin dlsdainfully. 1--WE have hunted 20
times together. But panther killing is
only for pastime. 1t is not lion hunt
Ing"
The coach stopped Just then and the
little old gentleman got up. Let me
give you q bit of advice, Monsieur Tar
| tarin," said he you are wasting your
time here. There are some panthers left
but as for lion hunting. that's all over.
My friend Chassaing knocked over the
last
He saluted and got out.
| Guard" said Tartarin. who is that
poor little manikin?"
THAT? said the guard. ''why, that's
Monsieur Bombonnel, the panther hunt
err"
At Milianah Tarrarin alighted. He did
not like the stage coach after his misad-
venture with Bombonnel. He walked up
the street and suddenly found himself
! face to face with-a lion, a great splen-
did lion. with his tawny name cleaning
| In the sun.
Even Tartarin could not resist the i'm
pulse to leap back He cried out and
the lion, hearing the noise. took up a
small wooden bowl In his great jaws
and held it out humbly. A passing Arab
a.,44
| saw that It was poor. tame. blind lion
| which was being led through the town
| by two negroes armed with slaves.
| Besides the lion Tartarin found another
unexpected creature in Miianah. 1t was
the Montenegro prince, who had followed
him, bent as he declared on keeping the
illustrious Tartarin company in lion
killing.
"oh, France. Prancel" was all the graft
| fled Tartarin could utter
| The next day they saillied forth and
bought a camel to bear their arsenal and
the patent tent and saucepans and foods.
The Arabs suggested donkeys, but Tar
tarin's soul rebelled at anything SO un-
Oriental.
He mounted the beast and made a most
successful and impressive start; but they
had not gone a mile before he was as
seasick as he had been on the zouave,
France, France he gasped, IT must get
off or I shall disgrace Francel''
Thereafter they walked They walked
for days But there were no lions. Every
night Tartarin went into ambush for three
or four hours; but no lions.
One eyeninQ howavar Tartarin fancied
that he heard that wondrous roaring to
which he had so often listened behind the
menagerie. The camel began to tremble.
The dogs began to howl. "Quickl Quickl"
said Tartarin. ITO the ambushl'
AS measure of prudence he intrusted
to the prince his pocketboolk full of bank
notes and precious papers. which he
feared might get torn by the lions talons
IL they got to close quarters. Then he
| repaired to a clump of laurel, with one
| knee ON the ground, his rifle ready and
his hunting knife stuck in the sand in
front of him.
There were 1000 mysterious sounds in
that African thicket. Rowing creatures
trod softly near him with velvety pads.
Jackals yelped. The branches swayed and
for an hour, and then another hour. But
heroism has its limits. He heard the
rolling of pebbles and the soft sound of
great paws.
Terror lifted him off the ground. He
fred both barrels into the night and re-
treated as fast as his legs would carry
him.
''Help!" cried he. "This way. France.
The lion is on me!'
The prince was not there. On the
white, moonlit sands the camel alone
cast it's faithful shadow. The pocket
book and the Prince of Montenegro had
vanished together.
Tartarin waited in vain till morning.
Then, assured that the prince would not
return, he doubted for the first time
doubted Montenegro, friendship, glory,
and even lions. Rejecting over his
plight, abandoned in the heart of saw
age Algeria with a humpbacked camel
and some loose change, he broke down
! and blubbered piteously.
At that moment the thicket opposite
him parted and a gigantic lion ap-
peared not 10 PAGES away. 1t thrust
out It's enormous neau ana rOareO I'LL
the very palms seemed to shake.
Furiously the Tarasconian, who had
Just been cursing lions with all his
SOUL jumped to his feet, lifted his rifle
and fired two bullets into the brutes
yellow head.
It was done. For a moment on tho
fiery background of African morning
sky there was a dreadful display of
scattered brains, smoking blood and
tawny hair. Then Tartarian perceived
two giant negroes with cudgels COM
ing toward him. They were his two
acquaintances of Milianah! He had
killed their tame lion.
They would surely have beaten him
to pulp had a gendarme not arrived at
the moment. being drawn to the scens
by the noise of the cahnonade. Peace
fully. with the majesty Of law. this