Year: 1860

gle.


Some four or five rods from the
spring, and occupying an area of
ground by itself, stood a beautiful,
wiae-spreading palmetto, with the first
limbs some dozen or fifteen feet from
the ground. Without a moments loss
we made our way to the tree Wilson
ascending first, and I following him
the moment he had received the mus
kets.


Hardly had we deposited ourselves
among the branches when the jungle
opened, and there emerged from its in
tricate depths gigantic creature not
less than seven feet in height, and
with four times the muscular develop
ment and seeming power of the strong
est man I ever saw. It was the most
fiendish and hideous looking creature
I ever hehell- 1t was positively
frightful to look at him.


There was horrible leer upon his
almost human face. which was rendered
the more startling ard repulsive, by
two huge tushes, not unlike those of a
wild boar, bristling up from his pro-
traling lower jaw. He was covered,
with the exception of a small portion of
the face, with short brown hair. He
carried a stout club in his hand, and
walked erect, though with very
shutting undigniied gait, as though
he wouldhave been more at home and
nearer to his apparently ferocious ma
ture, upon ali fours.


This strange and frightful creature,
man or beast. or whatever it was, peer
ed cautio sly about, but as good luck
would have it, did not look up into the
branches of the tree in which we sat,
and advancing to the spring, dropped
it's club, and went down on all fours to
drink. After quenchins it's thirst, the
hideous creature rose to a sitting pos
ture, and dropping it's hand-like feet
over the brink of the fountain. began
labbling lilly in the water. While we
thus satanxiously watching the move
ments Of this gigantic wild man of the
woods, expecting every moment that
his attention would be attracted tow
ard our place of concealmcnt, we heard
steps again proceeding from the jungle
The savage monster at the spring seem
ed to be conscious of the approach of
some formidable enemy, for he sprans
to his feet with the agility of an ape,
and seizing the heavy club which he
had cast aside on approaching the
spring, stood leering savagely toward
that part of the jungle from whence
the sounds proceeded.


In another moment the tawny hide
and shaggy name ola full grown Afri-
can lion became visible from an open
ing in the jungle. Then the gigantic
monster which had first attracted our
attention, commenced series of howls
and shrieks, that caused the very blood
in our veins to run cold.


At first the lion seemed to hesitate,
and once we thought he would turn
back, but his thirst for water proba-
bly, oyerca1lc the discretionary impulse
and he speedily prepared to contest the
ground with his formidable adversary.
I confess that we felt no little interest
in the approaching struggle, which We
knew, from the muscular strength Of the
combata1ts, must be terrible in the ex-
treme, and, to own the truth, we prayed
that the encounter might prove fatal to
both of them.


The lion with his eyes fixed upon the
horrible nan-like monster, commenced
creeping cautiously forth from the jun
gle. When he reached the opening,
he crouched upon his belly like a cat
ready to spring, and began lashing the



earth furiously with his tail.
In the meantime, his gigantic oppo-
nent stood with his heavy club threat