AN ANGRY LION.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 55, 4 July 1887, Page 7

AN ANGRY LION.

WeoTaNew York Actor. end wild beast variety speciahst, had a narrOff escape lately fron, being clawed to p Ss by his favourite S tage hon, Robert f IJ\ Frayne has a country place Tnth Dell! about three miles from Sf-onVilla-e near Morrinstown, N. SSy"v^ kee P shi3 little menagene person; i,o hyenas, two trained horses, a plough-horse ffirfrabbitswerein a barn About tftVyardsoff, near the road, a biff bear Sckined to a cherry-tree outside the ' £ and a little bear Bering .with lug tambVandabadcough, was tied to the Sd fence, and three or four dogs roamed May 16th the actor was awakened by a quick succession S yells, roaring and high-keyed neigh- ! IJfrom the barn. Dressing quickly he rushed down across the yard to the stables. The actor in his shirt-sleoves and stoelnngf»et PuUed one of the sliding barn-doors aside and stepped in The lion's cage was empty, and the big barred front was lying half tipped over on a pile of boards on the main floor. The lion was crouching behind the manger of the trained horse Bolwar, and to iust springing as the door opened. In a second he had cruncbed.the horse's neck, and tho poor beast fell, sfcill neighing, and enorted in agony on the stall floor, lne lion sank his jaws again into the mangled flesh and was about to.tear the quivering animal to pieces, when the actor struck him a smart blow with a stick across the back. lYayne had seen his favourite kill two men in fits of insubordination, and he knew .- at once that only a quick stroke would save bis own life now. He could not well back ' out either, for the ferocious beast's appetite once whetted with blood his escape would playhavocwith the country round. The actor had picked up a stout rope with a slip noose like a lasso, and as the lion turned quickly at the blow the noose was thrown cleverly about his neck. Then, with a good deal of slack rope, Pray no ran far around the endbat of the cage door and pulled. Tho lion was startled and half-cowed at the first sight of Ms trainer and master. He followed the pull of the rope mechanically across the[ threshing floor into the cage. ft! The whole face of the cage was still lying propped against a pile of lumber at one end. 'Ithadfallenfronvtwo of its three hinges at the other end and was almost flat down on the floor. Frayne lifted the bars as the lion crossed; arid tried to catch them again on their hingei The lion glared at him sul- , hnly for a seowd or two till the front was i nearly up, and then made a spring, lfc was too late, however; one hinge was caught, and the actor succeeded in fastening the The enraged beast slipped off. Then he jumped again, and, clawing blindly tough the bars, caught Mr Frayne's Mb arjn, Four of'the claws stuck in, most of them about an inch. deep. The blood trickled down hia shirt-sleeve, soaking it, but fcne acfor got away without any more 6erioishurts;. .■ '. .. . • ... >. : • The whole thing was.over;so quickly that even Chief Keeper Kriight_ had not time to reach the barn. : - : TliQ wounds were only in 'the flesh,'"and they had soon healed up. The horse died soon after the encounter. Leon has been ugly and sulky ever ( since. | Prayne shot one of his nieces accidentally while doing a sort of William Tell rifle aclj in Cincinnati some years ago.