158 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS, 



upper part of it, where lie amused himself by playing 



with him, and then fell asleep. The carpenter, fully 



trusting to the vigilance of the keeper, pursued his work, 



and when he had finished, called to him to inspect what 



lie had done. The man made no answer. The carpenter 



called again and again, but to no purpose ; and being 



alarmed, went to the upper part of the den, and looked 



through the railing. Seeing the lion and his keeper 



sleeping side by side, he uttered a loud cry. The lion 



suddenly awakened, started up, looked furiously at the 



carpenter, and placing his paw on the breast of his 



keeper, lay down to sleep again. The carpenter was 



dreadfully frightened, and ran out telling what he had 



seen. Some of the attendants went and opened the 



door, which the carpenter had secured with several bars, 



and contrived to wake the keeper, who, on opening his 



eyes, did not appear to be in the least frightened at his 



situation. He took the paw of the lion, shook it, ami 



quietly led him down to the lower part of his residence. 



It is from Mr. Pr ingle and Mr. Gordon Gumming 



that we derive the most stirring adventures with lions ; 



and I profit by the advantage afforded me by their 



pages. The first was a relation of mine by marriage ; 



and I have enjoyed frequent conversations with him 



concerning his travels, rendered the more extraordinary 



by his lameness, which proved the energy of that mind 



which could thus surmount bodily infirmity. 



Mr. Gumming still lives to tell his own tales ; and no 

 one can hear or read his words without seeing that he 

 has one of those ardent spirits which loves danger for 

 the sake of danger, and that his indomitable courage 

 and hardihood, from his early years, when he killed the 

 deer on his father's domains, prepared him to be what 



