AN ESCAPED LIONESS 163 



At the moment when the coachman pulled up 

 to deliver his bags, one of the leading horses was 

 suddenly seized by the supposed calf. The horses 

 kicked and plunged violently, and it was with 

 dithculty the driver could prevent the coach from 

 beino; overturned. The o;uard drew his blunderbuss 

 and was about to slioot the mysterious assailant 

 when several men, accompanied by a large mastiff, 

 appeared in sight. The foremost, seeing that the 

 guard was about to fire, pointed a pistol at his head, 

 swearing that he would be shot if the beast was killed. 



Every one then perceived that this ferocious 

 'calf was nothino; less than a lioness. The doo; was 

 set on to attack her, and slie thereupon left the 

 horse and turned on him. He turned and ran, but 

 the lioness caught him and tore him to pieces, 

 carrying the remains in her mouth under a granary. 

 The spot was then barricaded to prevent her escape, 

 and a noose being thrown over her neck, she was 

 secured and marched off to captivity again. 



It is said that the horse when attacked fouo;ht 

 with great spirit, and would probably have beaten 

 otf his assailant with his fore -feet had he been 

 at liberty ; but in his frantic plunges he became 

 entangled in the harness. The lioness, it seems, 

 attacked him in front, springing at his throat and 

 fastenino; the claws of her fore -feet on either side 

 of the neck, while her hind -feet tore at his chest. 

 The horse, although fearfully mangled, survived. 

 The showmen of the time were evidently quite 

 as enterprising as those of these latter days, for 

 the menagerie proprietor purchased the horse and 



