VOL. 50.
AMERICAN _VOLUNTEER.
PUBLISHED EVBEY TIIUU3DAY MOnNISO BY
JOHJS B. BRATTON.
TERMS:.
RmmrniprioH.—Two Dollars if paid witliin tho
j fwo Dollars and Fifty Cents, if not paid
-Whin tho year- These terms will bo rigidly ad
r r'll to in every instance. No subscription dis
imilin.icd until all arrearages are paid unless at
the option ,oT tbe Editor.
AnvF nTisrMENTS—Accompanied by the cash, and
not exceeding one square, will bo inserted three
limes for One Dollar, and twenty-five cents for each
additional insertion. Those of a greater length in
■proportion.
jon PniNTixo —Such ns Hand-bills, Posting-bills,
Pamphlets, Blanks, Labels, &o. Ac., executed with
ocuraoy and at the shortest notice. ■
———l—
men t.
Gently, 0 Night! as falling snow '
O’er •losing flowers and waters, flow/
Thy wing is cast j
And cuhn ami deep thy shadows lie.
As early thoughts that cannot die/
Within thb Past.' .
With holy incense, pure and (too,
And now, in yon blue vault on high,
Tho countless priesthood of tho sky,
Serene and still,
Reflected from Eternity,
Their censors fill.
Whence comest thou, 0, solemn Night!
With speaking winds, and worlds of light,
A wuml’rous band ?
Thy presence wins, as sunbeans' dow,,
My soul’s deep aspirations to
The Spirit Lurid. ■
Dim with the hues of early birMi,.
And henry, with .tho dust of earth,
The weight of Life, -
My struggling'spirib draws from theo
power to contend with destiny,—.
Strength for the strife.
Thy shadows o'er my burning brain
rail as the drops of cdbling rain.
On thc.parchcd dust;
And grateful ’I kneel- down to pray
Pur a bravo heart to'tread'-Life's way—
For changeless' trust.
ftlWlaneim
[Frunrtho Popular Science Rtivicw.J
THE AFRICAN CION IST ITS »A-
TiVC lIAUNTS.
BV jaLES GERARD (TUB “LION KILLER.”)
I I trust that these remarks may lie the
jimeuns of culling mure general attention to the.
lliistnry of that noblest of creatures, the Lion,
' than it lias hitherto enjoyed.in this country.
My observations possess, at least, one. ad
vantage—nothin unimportant one in, these
hook-making days—namely, that of originali
ty; for they are not merely a narrative of
what others have seen, or a repetition of
'what my predecessors have 'written, hut are
the results of my own personal experience.
My knowledge of the Lion’s natural, history
lias been acquired in those, wilds of which he
is the sovereign ruler, i I have met him face
to face as he. approached the' encampments of
• the unfortunate Arabs, in search 0.1 his .night
ly meal, have tracked him to' his lair on his
return from- his depredations,
i These adventures I have described elsewhere,
in a twin more suitable for the general read
er f r hut it is now my intention, as far as the
limited space allotted to mo will admit, to re ;
tall a little of the more., solid information
which I have obtained during my hazardous
expeditions; for the benefit of those who read
rather for instruction than for amusement.
bet mo first mention, that the result of my
nbjorvutions lias led nie to conclude dirt-the
race onions inhabiting the northern portions
of die contihqnt of Africa is superior to.-those.
which uvfr met with ifi the western and central
parts nf tliut continent, -i
Whether this superiority be inherent—that
Js-tu*s;»}v«n original quality of theanipuil—
•or whether it is due to the conditions by,
’which thc.creaijuro is surraiincjed.i.l shall.not)
venture to-say ; he. content to sub*
slantiuto the truth of by illus
trations of its Riipenor,ity n .Jeaviitg.it«to the'
consideration of better informed.natimUiats
to fathom the cause.
| The western,'central, and eastern portions
| of Africa have..eaoh .a-variety of lion. The
I first, which Js ;i fyund between the borders
I °f tbs Great Desert.as-ite-nortluSm limit, and
$ 'l"'v.r.., to the lower basin of the Niger in
| the smith, is a manelesa creature, of an elon
i 'S'doil fornvattd whose height is about that
| ot the titter, with which animal, moreover, it
s .msmany points of resemblance. .
| .-This- variety is a hunter ; that is to say, it
I | procures its nourishment by chasing game.
Spror this purpose, its instinct. teaches it
H| -o combine with its congeners in the-pursuit
si 1,8 prey, which is effected under the diree
3*tjnn of a veteran leader, who allots to all
|l;fhiur, proper posts and duties—to the most ac-
H 8 and best armed the places of danger,
w whilst the lionesses and young ones are dc
tnoheil f„r the purpose of beating the game,
ij rv Combined action—nay, it might almost
H _ 0 R|ill l by a stragetio movement—the Hon
iA'A/’ and their young press [forward in an
Ajpßroltdr. ratiJ:,; a battue, they
ariyo before them' nil the animals within
‘heir circuit in the direction of the hunting
: party, their movements being accoippanied
Ipy a lon.l clamor. When the prey arrives at
‘ io passages guarded by the elders, these
spuiig upon and slaughter it with great
-npidity, and probably with little suffering
o the victims. Should, however, a rhinocer
os or an adult elephant form a portion of
‘ m quarry, it is either allowed to pass un
‘ . cs|e H, or is brought to tho ground by the
nited attack of several lions. The battue
yhued, each hunter takes his share of tho
“hoty, not. however, without some slight
pnv’ilegesdu favor of superior might, which
■a the lion world also (in .this instance,
n ‘‘ 8ll8t ) constitutes r-ii/W. '
when, for example, tho olinso lias -boon
successful, and a groat umber of animals
are slain, no disputes arise ooneerning the
division of the prey; but should it happen
that there is not sufficient to satisfy tho ap
petites of all, tho arrival of tho lionesses
’? awaited, and those nro first served ;
then conies the turn of the males; and lastly,
'Pon the remnants—should those ho any—the
young people are permitted to regale them
selves, - -
fsumotimua, when ho grows old.tho lion of
.ns district turns misanthrope, “and floos
limn tlio company of Ins oongonors. In
jSuch oases,‘not being able to take part in tlio
I'Utnos of tlio community, nor to provide
I iiniscii with suflioiout nourishment by bunt-
4 ic P'uM'.r de .-Lions- i'arifl,J.,Vcrm°ut.
* t«. I >»♦ ,'t;• )■ vi*«V*H-r<-
ing the animals of the forest alone, ho becomes
a man-eater. Talcing up his quarters in the
thick brushwood bordering on somo village,
ho seizes the natives in their passage to the
fields ; and it is not at all uncommon for the
traveler to find villages in tho basin of
the Gambia and Niger abandoned by their
inhabitants from this cause.
In these.habits, then, and in its elongated
shape, the maneless lion of Africa manifests
a resemblance to the tiger, and more especi
ally to that of Bengali.
The lion of Central Africa with which we
are acquainted appears to belong to tbe same
variety fpund even as far south as the’imme
diate vicinity of the Capo of Good- Hope. ■ It
is adorned with a beautiful mane,, tho dispo
sition of which, falling ns it does far over the
animal’s forehead, detracts greatly from
its appearance.’ . This defect, and the elonga
ted form of its jaws, deprive tho animal of that
majestic air which characterizes its congener
in Northern Africa.. ■
Tho third variety appertains to Eastern
Abyssinia, Sehnnar, and tipper Egypt, and is
distinguishable by its form and color. 'With
a body thick set as that of a bull-dog, and
fierce and. sullen as the latter, this! lion
would be dangerous in the extreme if it
were endowed with strength proportionate to
its other qualities. Fortunately for the na
tives, however, he is small, and- possesses,
nothing formidable beyond bis red covering
and bis vicious-disposition.
Dismissing these three varieties of the lion
with the foregoing brief comments upon their
appearance and habits, I shall now ask my
readers to accompany mo over the orthodox
.geographical route across.tlie Great Desert to
Northern Africa—a journey more easily ac
complished in the reader’s company, and on
paper, than over the burning sands and
under the tropical gun of Africa, This
expedition will enable us to make the asser
tion that the “ Lion of the Desert," which
has been so frequently described, has no
actual existence ; and it requires ‘but little
consideration to show why the animal is'not
to be found in that locality. . Three things
are indispensable to its existence—fresh
meat, pure, water, and shade for repose.
Now, from Tiijibuctoo to the first cases, which
arc found nbrth .of Soudan, there is a distance
of not less than four hundred or five hundred
miles to he traversed without the existence of
this threefold condition of .life for.the lion-;
and tho. country enst and west along its
whole length is of precisely the same charac
ter. It will, therefore, ho easily understood
that no lion could penetrate into, much less
establish itself permanently in these desert
regions. Beyond (jiis sea of sand, however,
and the few fertile islands, the verdant oases
which are scattered over it, we come to tho
great chain of Mount Alius, which, with'its
magnificent.ramifications, is nobly poooled.
with denizens of the ahimnl kingdom. Here
it is that we find tho African'lion par excel
lence—the lion of Numidi-.i..
Kazouini, nnd Dnmeiri, two Arab authors
anterior to Biiffon, have described the linn of
Northern Africa in glowing colors.. Their
account commences with the titles of nobility
of. those largo-headed sovereigns of the wilds,
lie is thegreat.” tho “generous,”, the
“ magnificent," the “ formidable," the “ con
queror,” the '“ irresistible,” the “ gallant,’'
the “ kipevh,” the invincible,” the “devour-"
or,”- tho “courageous,” tho •‘intrepid,” tho
“ roaring,” and eighty nine other attributes
iu his praise being hut one short of the
number which they accord to the Almighty.
Dameiri subsequently describes a conflict,
in .which ho took part, ho soon a host of Arab
warriors and a single lion. In this affray
more than one hundred men and ns many
horses were placed 'hairs de ..cqntbat, and the
lion, pierced with wounds; remained master
of the .hattlorfield, the king having given way
before so noble and courageous an.animal.
This high estimate of the .'Wumidiah lion,
published many centuries back, accords with
the facts which’,l have-collected, and my
own observations at. the present day.
I have, however, found in Numidia, not
one, hut three well marked varieties of lion ;
iinilil.presumo it is in honor of the .most for
midable rtf-those that the Arab chronicler
inis recited his narrative. Tho three van
ties of this interesting family known to me
.lire the fawn colored, the gray, and the black;
Amongst tho Arabs they are known as
“.el Asfar;” “cl Zarzunri,” “el Adrna.”
■The fawn-colored and gray varieties are
bold animals, far superior in external form
and muscular strength to their other African
congeners, and also dissiinmilar in their
habits.
These great lords hold the principle that
to hunt game is a fit employment only for
poachers and peasants : ami, after the man
ner of certain barons of.the middle ages, they
deem it more dignified and convenient to
support themselves at tho expense of their
vassals. Every man, therefore, who stands
possessed of a herd of oxen, a Hock of sheep,
or of a few horses, is, in their opinion, ame
nable to the levy of tithe and tribute.
Starting upon this axiom (still upcoptro
verted) the Hop just referred .to .awakes
at sunset,-ami coolly proceeds to sumo rock
in the vicinity of his lair to perform his
toilet ; and from whence, looking doyro upon
his territories, he can survey the whole sur
rounding plain, and perceive tho various
flocks and herds returning to tho fold,
When night has fairly set in, he rises to
his feet, roars for the first time, ami swaying
his enormous heard from side to side as lie
proceeds, makes his way with measured pace
towards the encampment which is to furnish
him his supper.
Tho very roar of the lion in its wild state,
which is music that oven tho most fastidious
would bo deemed worthy of being listened to,
is truly magnificent. Ills first note, when he
commences to roar, is a low sound emitted
from the chest and nostrils, but is audible
from agreat distance. This is a sneoies of
prelude, and immediately afterward it is re
peated ; but tins time it is much louder and
more protracted, the jaws of tho animal being
still closed, or the mouth but slightly opened.
The third and fourth outbursts are given
to tho gir through tho fully-extended jaws,
and vvith the whole force of the lungs. To
listen to this roar is terrible for those who
fipppon to ho crossing the monarch’s path,
: or lo' be marching through the lonly forest.
At length, after two "cii- throe more utterances
of this kind, thoanimalcnds, as ho commenc
ed, with loss vigorous notfcs.
Tlie distance to which I have boon able to
trace the progress of a lion, by ids roar, when
there has boon no ..contrary wind, and no
mountain or other obstacle to intercept tho
Sou mi; is two or throe leagues ; l|i|t when ho
mi,rs p.hinit a league off,'one who is unaccus
tomed to the sound would believe him to bo
close at hand.
A curious circumstance which I have
noticed is, that when the liou is accompanied'
by his mate, they always roar alternately ;
i hat is is to say, the lioness commences, and
tho Hun answer her, each continuing in its
turn to utter its nolo, but.tho touos never'bo-
" ODIt tJpi/NTRY—MAY IT ALWAYS BE EIGHT—BUT BIGHT OR WRONG OUR COUNTRY.”
faction to find that my hero possesses a musi
cal quality, which has never been observed in
any other quadruped, so far as I am aware ;
and I am quite content to leave it to men of
science to discover tho cause, should they
deem the matter deserving of their attention.
But to return to our hungry lion, whom we
left descending from his mountain lair to the
plain on which tho encampments are pitched.
By tin-, term “ encampment” tho Arabs and
Barbarv designate an assemblage
of tentawanged in a circle, and in close
proximity with one another, except "in. one
part, which serves .as a passage to and from
tho plain. In the centre of this circle the
herds are penned ; and the external inclosure,
Which surrounds and serves ns a protection
to the tents, consists of a rude hedge from
six to twelve feet in height. The aperature
or passage referred to is kept open during the
day. but is closed at night.
When the Arabs hear the lion begin to
roar in the distance, they are once bn .the qui
.vivo,. Heaps of wood are piled up before
each tent, and kindled, so , that when the
lion arrives near the ■ encampment he may
be visible to all, and that the owner of each
tent may be able to throw a lighted brand at
his head, and drive him forward to his neigh
bor’s tent. , ,
But the king of beaks is so much accus
tomed to these fires and to tho dies of men,
women, and children, joined with the yells of
dogs, that he completely understands their
meaning, and regards, them with perfect in
difference. Likean experienced hunter, when
lie arrives before a hedge, all he does is to
take a measure of its height with his eye, and
then, with a hound as quick as lightning he
clears it, and alights in the .encampment,.
Then follows a scene of) unutterable terror
and confusion. Men, women, and children
rush pell-mell into their frail dwellings; The
dogs are silent in an instant, and Seek refuge
on.tho tops of the teats ; with desperate strug
gles the horses break their tethers, and all
the largo cattle, forcing a gap, in the hedge
which encloses the enpampmpnt, scamper
across the plain. 'The poor sheep, too much
terrified to flee, tire' huddled together in n
heap, and bloat most lamentably, as though
pleading for mercy. Biit the lion has left his
generosity in the mountains, and at this
juncture he experiences only his carnivorous
instincts. These prompt him to take posess
ion of.orie of the poor sheep, unless on this
particular, occasion he'prefer to regale him
self with.an ox or a horse; in which case lie
pursues the cattle into the plain, and com
mits fearful havoc amongst them, for a sin
gle victim on one night is not sufficient to
satisfy this long maned gourmand. lie needs
an ox for his dinner; partaking only of the
prime,portions; and afterward the tjlnud of
live or six more serves to quench his thirst.
Thus far, we have no right to object to tho
lion’s proceedings. We drink claret, beer
and champagne; he prefers the warm blood
of his victims—every one has tastes given to
him in accordance with his nature. But the
really objectionable part of'his proceeding is,
that ho does not return to devour.tliomclm.'h
he bus slain, tint’-goes elsewhere and, massa
cres r.ew victims. This need of..fresh-killed
meat occasions enormous losses to the Arabs,
for their religion forbids them to feed on arii-.
amis which have hot,beep killed by them
selves, pronouncing, in so doing, the sacra
mental words “ biesem Allah ” (in the name
uf'GoiL)
X.liuria the niode of procedure with tho
gray..mj fawn-colored lion when it seeks its
meal alone; it accompanied by his mute, the
hitter remains outside of the encampment,
anil her lord, clearing tho inclosure, manoeu
vres in such a way as to. drive a portion of
the cattle to the locality where she' is stationed.
Madame selects her victim, slaughters it ad
roitly, and at once sets about her meal, never
.'permitting her spouse to pm talc? of her re
past. Neither does.he attempt to touch one
of the slaughtered animals which lie around,
hut looks on patiently until his spouse- has
finished her meal—his behavior, let hie odd,
serving as an ,example worthy of imitation
by all married' men. I have oven noticed
that,-when ho (Ipproached his mate, apparent
ly with a view to inquire whether her food
was palatable, she would respond to this del-,
icate attention fm his part by, demonstrations
of auger, without at all, however, disturbing
his serenity.
But the excellent domestic,qualities of tho
wedded liou do'not end here. When ho has
attained tho felicity of being the parent of
two or three young ones, (the average nuni
hcr. of young in the family of a pair,) he.is
charged,.during the daytime, with' watching
over the safety of all, and at night it is lie
who sets'out lo the distant plains in .pursuit
ot prey, to furnish sustenance -to the'mother
.ami her young, cubs. . :
In thV performance of this duty, the lion
lias recourse to,gu. expedient w. 611 Worthy the
consideration o.f scioiiiilic 1 inon, and'calcula
ted .to puzzle those who disbelieve in the
magnetic power of animals. As the lair in
habited by the-lioness and her young is'al
ways at a considerable distance from the Arab
eiicatupmeiUsi |t would ,(ie a difficult task for
the Hon to carry, or even to drag. au ox nr a
horse so fitr. To avoid this labor, lie brings
home a living animal, yes, reader, iifored
ihle as it may appear, the Hun.pososses the
power of compelling a bull to leave the herd,
and can force him to precede him, in whaG
over direction he pleases, for a whole night,
thus leading him into the must inaccessible
mountains.
Let me relate a circumstance, connected
with this power possessed by the lion, of
.'which I was myself mi eye-witness, my rifle
having on that occasion solved .the strange
problem;
In the month of May, 184Gntn expedition
sot out'from the camp atOuelma towards the
frontiers of Tunis, for the purpose of chasti
sing a rebellious tribe of Arabs* At seven
in the morning of the second day of our march
wo arrived at the banka of a river called El
Meleh Saloo, which flows past the foot of a
bare precipitous mountain. At this place
•we halted, and Captain (now General) do
Tourville ordered the cavalry to remain until
the infantry and baggage had passed over
the hill. Wo,had been thereabout an hour,
when wo saw a horseman gallop back to us
at the top of his speed. This horseman was
a spahi, who formed part of the escort, and
haying reached the loader of the cavalry, we
saw him address him with great animation
and many violent gestures, which led us to
believe that the .vanguard had been, or was
about to bo attacked, Presently, however, I
hoard my own name frequently repeated, as
,though some one was wanted on a pressing
service. I hastened to join our commandant,
and this is what 1 learned from the Arab—
his statement being received with the utmost
incredulity by those who stood around :
At the moment when the head of the col
umn had reached the summit of the hill, the
vanguard perceived a bull approach across
the oorn-flolds, and behind it, only a few pa
ces distant, was tin 'enormous,lion which fol
lowed its footsteps. ;The soldiers at dupe pet
gtttteo itmH Uit. iM tw
CARLISLE, PA., THURSDAY, JULY, 16 1863,
clarions sounded. This noise arrested, the
animals for a moment, and then they prece
ded onwards, in the direction of the troops.—
As they were not above a hundred paoesdis
taut, the men prepared for a volley, when the
commander and gave orders not to
fire, but to halt.
The boll and lion crossed tho path on which
the troops were about to inarch,within pis
tol-shot; tho lion then lay down to survey
this spectacle'which was so now to him, and
the bullcommenced grazing close by his Side.
It was at this juncture that the spahilwas
dispatched to letch me ; and it is hardly ne
cessary to say. that, notwithstanding the
distance and the difficulty of the road, I was
not long in teaching the scene of the strange
apparition. The lion was, however, no long
er there, aud I had to follow bis track. On
arrivingnt a little--hillock I saw hi in on the
slope of a.mountain opposite, still.proceeded
by his victim. Haying [heard the gallop
of my horse and that of thedspahi who accom
panied me, the liqjj,. had stopped, and Was
watching our approach. ■:
The bull had followed his example. When
I had arrived at about a hundred paces from
him I.dismounted and walked towards him,
preparing my rifle. The lion politely ad
vanced to meet mo, and when we were dis
tant from one another about twenty-five or
thirty paces I stopped, and fired 'my first ball,
which turned him on bis back., lie, howev
er, rose instantaneously, and with furious
roars bounded towards uie. .'Mere fwtunate
ly or skillfully aimed,any second shot stopped
his infuriated career in time, and brought him
to the ground.
As for, the bull, he was led to .the bivouac
the next day, and I ascertained from the.
Arabs of the district in which we wore, that
he belonged to an encampment situated at.
least twelve miles distant from the locality
in wjiiclrwe had encountered him, and that
each night of the previous month , had been,
marked by an .abduction of the kind, the vic
tims ser.ving.jos food fur a lioness and her
crips which inhabited a neighboring lair.
I confess that when I heard this news I
regretted the'mischief, which"! had uncon
sciously occasioned, My,readers will doubt
less consider the care and affection manifes
ted by the lion towards his mate and young
ones as laudable as I do; and as,to the ques
tion of ihagnetic influence, 1 can only explain'
it on the ground of extreme terror ; for there
are many examples cited of Ay.,hs thus mag
netized until led away by the lion, in the
presence rif other persons who had sufficient
presence of 'mind not to succumb to his influ
ence.*
Tlie variety Of the lion to which I have
been referring is, in every other respect, a
pattern of domestic virtue, which is more
than can bo said of bis mate ; but as I have
now almost reached the limits of the'space
allotted to me, I must leave them to sptt’e
their differences, and conclude this brief and
imperfect account of the habits of the king
of beasts with a few r'emarks upon the last
variety, the black lion, which .is the finest
and most formidable, of the; spoaiej.
This animal so common as the fawn
colored or the gray one. . Like the two latter,
it takes sis or eight years to arrive at itsifuld
growth, and .its lilo is,of fifty or sixty years’
'.duration." With somewhat, shorter legs,,it as
.broader.and more thickset than they are.—
The power of its jaws, chest, loins and paws
is so. great, that it cun clear an inclosuro
eight nr ton feet high with, a horse three
years old between-'its teeth. I have myself
witnessed this (eat flh more than one occasion,
llis habits pretty much' resemble those of the
two last-named varieties up to the age of
twenty or thirty years, but then be becomes
a man-eater,, and causes .terrible ravages on
the frontiers of Tunis and Morocco, where
be is the most frequently met with. The
courage of this lion is really grand. It mat
ters-little to him by what numbers be is .at
tacked ; and' whether it be by day or by
night,die never flinches. I Have seen one of
these black linns, charge into the midst of
three hundred Arab horsemen on an open
plain, and drive them- back almost to their
encampment; the boldest,of them, with their
burses, remained prostrate alongdlis path; —
I have sometimes found the .gray or fawn
colored lion hesitate when I met him at night
on my expeditions through the. forest, but
never this one. The black lion always
looked me full-in the face, without any dem
onstration of anger, before the attack, but
•regarding mo with djsdjiin, .as if. I .were an
inferior being. -In fact, lie is the most beau
tiful animal before, and the noblest a)ter, man
.himself. ’ .
1 Fortunately for him, ho hris not yet become
aoquainted-with the martyrdom of captivity,
■for I cannot otherwise designate the cruel and
thoughtless mode of securing hi ip in.zoologi
ot 1 gardens. '
a .creature which, more than any
other, has need of air ami space, and he is
imprisoned in.a cage in which he can hardly
turn himself; But the money requsite to
supply the place of those who thus die a mis
erable death would amply suffice to afford
them an o.xtont of ground similar to that re
served for deer and other loss noble animals;
ami w.o should then posses? creatures mag
nificently proportioned, 1 instead of poor, sick
ly, enianeiated forms and they might he
watched os they play and bound in fact al
most as in a state of nature. .
There is still something to be done-in this
respect, and sooner or later it will beaoeom
plished, for the English are an earnest, prac
tical people. Meanwhile, should any of my
-vinders happen to bo Fellows of the zoologi
cal Society of London, J would just give them
a friendly caution against making the moun
tains of Africa the scene of their'vacation
tours, lost the lions at large should take ven
geance upon them for the unfortunate fate of
their brethren held in captivity.
#lt is not our intention to enter upon tho dis
cussion of tho subject of tho fascination exorcised
by animals over thoir proy ; but wo may mention
that tboro nro many instances on record of a
somewhat similar power being possessed by other
animals. An anonymous witcr, in tho lemire
Hour, (November, 186.2,) gives some examples of
it in tho stoat. Ho watched a rabbit trying to es
cape from tho fascinating power of a stoat, ar
rouud which it circulated, ns.if spell-hound, con
tinually narrowing tho circle in which it was run
ning whilst tho stoat seemed to ho watching for it
to como near enough to spring M.' -Cho narrator
shot the stogt, and tho rabbit then escaped. ,11. tn
our author’s caso, tho bull ihadd an effort tit escgpo
whdn tho course of’tho lion was it woffld
'have boon djisy to explain tho fpsoiuation on the
same ground as in tho ease of tho atoat and rah
i,it. -
BOySome young ladies,'fooling aggrava
ted by the severity with whiuh their friends
speculated on their gay plumes, necklaces,
bracelets, rings. &0., wont to their pastor to
learn his opinion. ...
“ Du yeti think,” said they. “ that there is
any impropriety in wearing these things ?
“ Dy no moans,” was the prompt reply,
■< when tho heart is full of ridiculous options,
it is well enough to hang nut a sign.”
,pbO ago, ig 6 {gwujwtf, y.tsdai;
TUB DOUBLE ROBBERY.
Toward the close of the last century North
umberland and the border were terribly in
fested by those—to the bucolic mind particu
larly obnoxious specimens of the genus thief
known as ‘ rievers,’ or ‘ lifters of cattle.’
Almost all the rascals who followed this
not Anlucrativo profession trusted chiefly to
more, brute force to carry out successfully
their nefarious schemes. There was, howev
er, one exception to this rule to ho found in
a person of a celebrated free-hooter, known as
‘ Hickey of Kingswood.’ This worthy open
ly expressed liis disapprobation of his rivals’
vulgar mode of following their profession,
and repeatedly boasted that he could achieve
twice as much by his cunning as they could
by their brute foroe. Nor was,this assertion
of his empty boasting—far from it..
In a low years’time Dickey’s mime became
the terror of the country side. No'farmer
felt secure when he retired .to rest at night
that his cattle might not have vanished be
fore morning. -So. cleverly, moreover wore,
all Dicky’s enterprises conducted, that no
man could ever, succeed in making personal
acquaintance with him. He openly sot jus,
tice at defiance, and laughed at the "futile
efforts of law to punish him, Perhaps,
however, the best way to illustrate the adroit
ness ond good luck which characterized all
Dickey’s proceedings will be for mo to
relate the story of one of his exploits.
■lt appears, then, .that during, the course of
his peregrinations through Northumberland,
one fine afternoon, Dickey’s eyes were glad
ened by the sight of a pair of fine oxen
which were quietly grazing in a field, near
Denton Burn, a village distant three miles
from Newcastle. . . .
Determined to possess them, Dickey bung
about the place till nightfall, watched where
the animals were driven to, and—his usual
good fortune assisting him—speedily secured
his prize. , Ho also contrived, by the exercise
of his aoffustomed cunning, to leave such
traces behind him as made thd'o'wnor of the
. oxe i certain that the freebooter had made off
toward Tweqd. Thither he accordingly pro
ceeded in hot haste. In the interim, howev
er, Dickey had lost no time.ln ‘making
hacks’ towards the west counter, and so
expeditions were his movements that in
a short'time he reached Lanereost,. in Cum
berland. Here ho fell in with an old farmer
on horseback,.who being delighted with tlio
appearance of the oxen, forthwith purchased
them.
Dickey was of course rejoiced at getting
rid so pleasantly of a charge which could not
fail to be troublesqme-r-nay, possibly danger
ous—to him JongCr to retain. "The farmer,
moreover, was mounted upon a splendid
mare, which Dickey, with his peculiar ideas
an the subject of meum and ieum, at unco re
solved by fair means or foul, to secure. lie
therefore willingly accepted the farmer’s
hospitable invitation to accompany him to
his .house ' r ‘ order that they might 1 crack
a-buttih'uf jjoofi wine in honor of the bargain.
Presently Dickey inquired of tbs lariuer
il ho would sell him his mare. .
‘ Sell you my mare!’ exclaimed his host,
all aghast at his proposition. ‘Sell my
'mare ? No, thank you;’ Why, there’s not
hei equal in the whole north conn try !’
‘ I do not doubt it, Mr. Musgrave,’ respond
ed Dickey ; ‘ and from what I saw of her
paces this morning, I am quite, of your opin
ion that there’s not her equal within a hun
dred miles of,us -, hut,’ added the obsequious
Dick, ‘ since you will not soil her, I can only
wish you a long life and good health to
enjoy her.’
.’ 'To is sentiment was of course duly honored
in a bumper.'
. ‘I hope. Mi 1 . Musgrave,’ next observed
Dickey, ‘ that you keep a close look-out after
your stable door, because now, where that
rascal -Dickey of ICingswood is allowed to he
at liberty, a man.'cannot be sure hut that any
lino morning lie may find his stable elnpty'.'
‘Stable! ha! ha I’ chuckled the. farmer.
• I think,’ he continued, ‘ that Dickey Kings
wood would find it rather difficult to steal my
mare from hers table!’.
‘ Indeed 1 where may her stable ho situat
ed ?’ inquired Dickey.
‘Tier stable 1 bless you, sir!’ answered
Mr.' Musgrave, ‘her stable is in my. hod
room ! Porn bachelor, and so every night I
fasten her to my bed, I hare a manager put
up for her in the room, and no musio i«
so pleasant to mo as to hear her grinding her
corn all night by my bedside.
Dickey was astounded—as well ho might
p e at "such unheard of precautions ; hut
disguising his astonishment, contented him
self by simply expressing to the iarmqr his
hearty approval of the means he adopted to
secure the sftlety of his favorite.
• I suppose you have a good lock upon your
bod rootn door?’ was Dickey’s next * feeler.’
‘ Come with me, and I will show it to you,’
replied the unsusspeoting farmer.
This was just what Dickey wanted. He
examined the look carefully, and soon satis
fied himself that he could pick it without
much difficulty. He however, declared to
Musgrava that it was ‘just the right sort
of lock;’ ‘it couldn’t have been iu fact;’
it was quite nou-piokablq,’etc.
Again the cap passed round, and after
draining a bumper to their ,* next pacrry
meeting’ Dickey departed. '
The old former after his guest’s leave-tak
ing hj'-d .been completed, .carefully went the
ropnds of his house, looking doors and clos
ing windows with all. duo precaution. He
then, ns usual tied his mare to her ac
customed post, retired and was soon lulled
to sleep by the sound of his favorite grinding
her corn. , .
So the night wore away. Presently, ns
the first gray streaks of day began to appear,
Mr. Musgrave awoke, and fooling very cold
and chilly, looked around to ascertain the
cause. To his astonishment, be found all
the coverlets had been taken off his bod and
his blankets had been spread nut upon the
floor. For what purpose ? thought Mr. Mus
grave. Was ho the victim of some horrible
nightmare, or was he really awake ? Me
chanically bis eye glanced to the spot whore
his mare should have been. She was not
there was gone—stolon! During the
night some daring thief bad broken into the
form house, had picked the look on the door
of the bod room, lirtd'sproad t|io blankets over
the floor, so that the hoofs of the mare should
piako no noise, and had thus triumphantly
made off with his prizn.
Of course Mr. Musgrave roused his house
hold, and oomiponeecUft vigorous search after
the thief. It was useless. The despoilcr
had loft no traces behind him, and so Mr.
Musgrave was obliged to return homo discon
solate, and to content himself with venting
curses—neither few nor for between —upon
the thief. . ,
In the meantime our friend Dinkey—tor
his was the deed—was comfortably mounted
upomMr. Musgravo’s favorite mare, and was
every moment increasing thedistaneo between
her outraged owner nnd himself. So groat
was the speed of the mare, that'oy. the brohk
ef,do/, pick®/,
suit. lie had directed, his steps to the east
ward, and while crossing Ilaltwhistle Fell,
whom should ho encounter but the veritable
owner of the oxen ho had stolon two or three
days before and had just sold to Mr. Mus
gravol
Dickey knew the owner of tho oxen well,
but, luckily for tho freebooter, that injured
individual did not know him. lie therefore
accosted Dickey, and inquired if he had seen
any oxen in the course of his travels similar
to those lie described himself to Dick as be
ing in search of.
.'Why to be sure I have !’. replied Dickey-;
1 with the very sumo marks as you describe',
graziilg in Mr. Musgrave’s fields at Laner
cost, only yesterday. I was rather stijiick;’
lie continued, ‘ by their appearance, and
learned, on inquiry, from one of his servants,
that Mr. Musgrave had purchased them just
yesterday. Undoubtedly the dxoti are yours.
I would ad vise you to go to Lanercost at once
and claim them.' -. . •
‘Certainly I will,' replied the oilier.—
‘But I am tired with hard walking, and it is
a long way to Laneroost; I see you ride -a
good beast. , Will you sell. her?.
After some hard bargaining, terms were
agreed upon, the purchase .money was paid
down on the spot, and Dickey and the farm
er separated ; the farmer to seek his stolen
oxen, actually from the very owner of the
stolen mare .ho was himself riding, while
Dinkey proceeded ‘where he listed;’.
The next day the farmer reached Lnnor
cost and at once recognized his own oxen gra
zing in the field. lie forthwith'rode .up to
an elderly man standing near, whom he
judged to be the owner of the field, and ex
claimed':
‘ I say friend, those are my oxen in your
field 1 How may you have come by them ?’
‘ I’ll be hanged replied the other, (after
taking a long, at the animal
oh , which his Questioner was mounted.) if
that’s not my ir aro'fyou are riding! flow
mav you have come by her, pray?
Each of course described the .person from
whom they bad 'respectfully purchased the
oxen and mare; and when this was done they.
discovered they had indeed boon ‘ sold’ by a
rogue of no common order.
,§0 laughable did the joke appear—even to
those who had to ‘ pay the piper l in the aff-
neither party could prevent break
ing out into, a peal of . merriment when the
particulars were fully disclosed.
It is now clear that the only way to settle
the affair was for each party to take .back his
own property. Muagrave was of course over
joyed at the recovery,of his favorite mare and
the Denton Burn farmer being equally de
lighted at the recovery of his oxen, it fell out
that, in. the general burst of rejoicing, Dickey
was allowed to quietly pocket the sale mon
ey of both, mnrn and nxonl
Whether Dickey ultimately came to an un
timely end, or whether he reformed his ways,
and died, truly, ‘ shrived,’ in his own -bed,
history tolleth not.
‘"’■Oertn'm it. is, limvnvcr, that, to this dayhia
dood» nre * hmisehnlil Trords’ in many parts
of Northumberland; and the mention of hifi
name amon" tho peasantry is considered sy
nnnynions vdlh enfonoss.
political.
Item arks of Hon. E. \V. Dl’Coinas.
At the Great indignation Meeting at Chicago.
Ex-Governor E. \V. MoComas, having been
called but and introduced, said :—Fellow citi
zens of Chicago, you'hayp assembled togeth
er upon an occasion,qf.very grave moment
a mucb' nioro grave question, I apprehend,
than many; who now hear mo .believe. This
country, after having.gone on for sevonly.five
years in a career of prosperity suddenly finds
itself in the midst of a revolution which has
ho paralell in the history of mankind—a na
tion that has every blessing, that God Al
mighty. confers upon humanity i n country
broad enough for three hundred millions
more people than inhabit it; a people with
every right, every right, every enjoyment,
every blessing that man can conceive' of—
has suddenly been plunged into almost hope
less and irretrievable bankruptcy, bloodshed
and ruin. Who are responsible for this aw
ful condition of humanity upon this continent ?
{Voices—“ Abolitionists,” “Abo Lincoln,”
Ac.) I know, fellow citizens, who are not.
responsible’for it. I know that tho Northerni
democracy have had no hand in that matter,
arid that their skirts are clear of it. (Ap
plause and shouts.) You remember well how •
you and I wore charged .with being. Union
slirickers and Union savors two years ago. : —
But I ehaiil not talk of tho loyalty of the.
democratic party or of my loyalty. Loyalty
is a good thing when fighting is the cause of
God and liberty—(cheers)—but loyalty is a
damnable thing when it is fighting in the
..cause of tyrants. (Continued, cheering.)—
.You have, gentlemen, a government that has
had various powers, with checks and, balan
ces. Yon have your' State government and
yliur central government. and, op account-'of -
conflict between the authority of the Slate
and federal governments you are involved in
oivilwar. You have no conflict of powers
between the executive, legislative and judi
cial powers. The legislative and. judicial
powers have been slowly giving way under
Iho.nhniinding powers of the executive. This
is the difficulty under which wo now labor,
and which wo now have to dread. You have
brought forth your treasure by 'millions, you
have poured forth tho blond of your sons up
on every battle field of the war in the States
of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri -and Vir
ginia—what for? To maintain liberty.—
(Applause.) This war was started upon tho
ground Hint it was to bo.fought under the
constitution, and lor the constitution, and for
the maintenance of tho Union. Under this
call the democratic party in the North rallied
by the thousands and hundreds of thousands.
But tho object ot this war has since been
perverted-into a war for the emancipation of
the negro; It has become a war that tho
democratic party did not bid for, (“ Never.”)
It has become a war for trampling under the
rights of States, , and that tho democratic
’.party never .bid for. (“ Never.”) Now,
. when tho democratic party, having indorsed,
fought and hied under that act of Congress
which declared that tho object qf the war
was to unite the government uinieb the con
stitution ns it is, now, if the members of thofc
party choose to express tho opinion that flia
policy of tho administration is not calculated
to procure the result of Union and harmony
are they to bo throttled, thoiv speakers im
prisoned, and their newspapers suppressed ?
(“ Fever, never!’’) I toll you gentlemen,
this question to night assumes precisely this
form aud no more. You are already upon
'the eve of deciding the final question, not
whether you will have Union or not, hut
whether yoil'r government shall override all
tlio'forms of law, and yon will have a mili
tary despotism? I know not bow the. jProfd-
-upon this subject. lam not in the counsels
the administration. I only know that
they have arrested nien for being true men—
ostracised them, as 1 think, without law and
without reason. And how in your awn midst
this matter conies before you. The -Cjiidagi)
Times, published in your midst by geutfeausa
you yourselves know, whose tone, whose prim
ciples you know—aye, whose principles you
have endorsed. (Cheering loud and
This paper not only represents you hut the
people of the broad prairies of Illinois and
.the, west!—(' The whole Union’) —it has been
milder in tone than many, it has not been
scurrilous towards the administration ; hut it
has simply indicated its views in opposition
to the administration ns to the best mode of
preserving Union ond liberty. ( “ That’s
so 1”) Now here lies the thing in a nutshell.
If you can’t have the right to get your news
from the public papers free and .nntfamjcplled
you have no rights as freemen tut all. .'■ ‘i 1
We are told, gentlemen, that the last, hc-cl
right of freemen is to vote. ButT toll yptt,
I would not give a farthing fdr th.o right to
vote if I cannot speak and publish what I
please; for. how shall I get my. information
that shall inform me how to vote ? Shall we
got our .information from the government
telegrams? Are wo to,ha fed With pap in
the manner, at the leisure of the government,
which is desirous of forming public' opinion
its own way? (Applause.) Gentlemen, you
are either freemen or slaves. , But, 1 am "not
here to counsel insurrection. lam not hero
to spy •nnythiri’g against the laps’ Of. my coun
try. 1 have loved iuy.country (God witness
es) as I never loved wife, or child ; I have
been proud of my country; but,, above all
else, 1 have been proud of freedom. You
may toll me of the, right to vote—you may
tell me of - union and loyalty, hat T tell you
in the name of God, I am fur liberty above'
all things. I care not what it
And so says JVIr. Story. He goes to a.repub
lican judge, to it republican-marshal. in arc
publican city. (Cries of “No, that’s played
out,” ” Take that back.”) Well, I’ll take ft
back, (Cheers.) Mn. Storey has gone be
fore a republican for judgment, .pnd ifStorey
isa traitor we are all traitors(Orica of-“'-Iluf
rah for Storey” and deafening cheers.)
Storey's case is before J udgo Drummond.—
The question involved is purely a legal ques
tion. ■ The military hpve no-tight t 6 inter
fere .with“Storey, having no power-except
what is delegated to them. They are mere
servants of the people Judge, President Gen
.erds and all, and the people have put down
in their constitution, their power of attorney,
exactly what they have a right to do, in
peace and war. There they have declared,
and Mr. Storey declares, that tho military
have attempted- to override the law, arid to
trample upon his rights and your,rights.—
Mr. Storey appeals to the country for hin
rights, lie stands-where every man stands
whose heiirt is loyally imbued" with;.the prin
ciples of freedom, lie will take 'off bis hat
and bow before', that thi
law. But, gentlemen, I will not
when bis decision is rendered,,that llio strong .
arm of military law will disregard it.l will
not believo that tho President of the United
States will put his heel upon the last strong
hold of human liberty and say, ‘‘ I will over
ride the rights of tho people!” (Cheers.) I
cannot believe that a man who has been
borne a-poor man himself,' who has lived
among the people, can so far forget himself.
I will not believe that a man,who hns liydd
so long in this' country—who has grown tip
in it, who has grown old and gray in this
country —can so far forget the rights .of man
kind and tho memories of the great arid good
men who have fought,and-bled for this coun
try, gs to .tra.m)de those rights down to de
struction. I believe, before God and. thio
people, he will not. I will not look beyond
that. God forbid that I-shouid havo oyes to
see beyond the time when it may, not only be
apparent that-wo are attempting to .subjugate
ten States, but that wo are attempting to sub
jugate tho liberties of Northern freemen'!
No, sir, I will not believe it. .1 will hope
and trust and believe that the President will
still respect the courts which the government
of the United States has Constituted to decide
upon our rights. And when the time shall
come of a full denial of those rights to rfs,
then it will be time enough to look, to'God and
the principles of eternal juStrica to-iight'US.-'
(Tremendous cheering.)
fiST A stolid Dutchman was standing at a
certain 'precinct on election- day, inquiring
for ‘ de regular doiiiogratic dicket,’ when a
shrgjf.d fellow instantly stepped up and, sup.-,
plied him witli the genuine thing. ,
‘ Vellj-now,’ said Hans, ‘ vat will I do mil
’itn ■? * ■ ■ '
‘ Put it in that box,’ pointing to the ballot
box, said one and another.
The cunning ‘ cuss'Who had accommoda
ted him with the ‘picket,’ whispered';in his
ear, ‘ Don’t you let them fooiyou ; don’t put
it in the box ; keep if,; put it in your pcokdfr;
it’s your own ; and don’t let them cheat you
out of-your vote;' and so he did, ramming
his ticket away down to tho bottom of a deep
pocket in his coat, and walking off; as .mad
as could bo at the rogues’ Who wauled tb
cheat him out of his vote by putting it pa tho
ballot-box, -
“ The New Cut.”—An did clergyman
who bad tin'old tailor ns his beadle for
many years, returning from n walk, in which
the “minister’s roan I ,'' was- in the con*
slant habit of attending him.tjhus adresssod
his fellow-traveller : “ Thomas,’;P cannot toll
how it is that our .congregation should-ba
getting thinner and thinner ; for Tttmrsbrtf't
preach as well ns over X did', and must hdvo
gained a great deal of experience since I
lirst came among you." “ Indeed, sir,” re
plied Thomas, “ old . parsons, now-a days,
are just like old tailors. lam sure ! sew ns
well as over I did, and the cloth is the same;
hot it’s the cut sir—the noW cut—that beats
me.”
A Dcltchtfci. Ceveraoe. —' Minnie-riflo
brandy,’ killing two hundred yards, bff-band,
must yield in potency to* tangle-fodbwhisky,'
a drink now in general use at Pike’s Peak.
It is made of diluted ■alchohol, tittrio acid,
hoot-logs and tobacco, and will upset an in
dividual at a distance of four hundred yards
from tho demijohn containing it.' They need
a temperance lecturer in that rogioh.
Thayinq TnicKTiirENTn. —“Did you go
' to Dr' to have him cure you of.lisping ?’
said a gentleman to a,-little boy who had been
tongue-tied; ' , , .
“ Yoth, tbir” answered the lad.
“ What did bo do to you t” .
“ lie cut n little tUriug there watU under
,my tongue.”
“ Did ho cure you?”
Yoth,-tbir." ■ '
“Why, you are-lisping now.”
“ Am* I. thir? l.Well, ,1, don't porjVve
that I lithe. oitheat'vfWi * gow
■thnanth*' r Thtl«-r
9-
no. 5