Page:Famous history of Valentine & Orson (1).pdf/24

 the horse retired into a comer of the menagerie, wherowhere [sic] having direeteddirected [sic] his heels towards the lion, and having reared his head back over his left shoulder. He watched with extreme eagerness the motions of his enemy. The lion, who presently quitted his den, sidled about for more than a minute, as if meditating the mode of attack; when having suffieientlysufficiently [sic] prepared himself for the combat, he made a sudden spring at the horse, which defended itself by striking his adversary a most violent blow on the chest.

The lion instantly retreated, groaned, and seemed for several minutes inclined to give tip the contest; when recovering from the painful effects of the blow, hohe [sic] returned again to the charge with unabated violence. The mode of preparation in this second attack, was the samosame [sic] as the first. He sidled from one side of the menagerie to the other for a considerable time, seeking a favourable opportunity to seize upon his prey; during all which time the horse still preserved the same posture, and still kept his head erected, and turned over his shoulder. The lion, at length, gave a second spring with all the strength and veloeityvelocity [sic] he could exercise, when the horse caught him with his hoof on the under jaw, which he fractured.

Having sustained a second, and a more severe repulse than the former, the lion retreated to his den as well as he was able, apparently in thothe [sic] greatest agony, moaning all the way in a most lamentablolamentable [sic] manner.

What became of the lion afterwards I never heard; but the horse was soon obliged to be shot, as no one ever dared to approach the ground where he was kept.