AN AFFECTIONATE LION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1500, 7 March 1887, Page 2

AN AFFECTIONATE LION

Gerard, the great lion hunter, captured a whelp m the mountains of Jebel Mezeours, Algiers, named it Hubert, and brought it up as he would bring np a dog from puppyhood. After a time hia huge pet becoming too dangerous to go at large, Gerard made a present of the auiraal to his friend, tbe Duo d'Anmale, and Hubert tra relied to Paris m a bis cage, bemoaning his separation from his old master. The next year Gerad himself visited Paris on leave of absence from the army, and went at onoe to the Jardin des Plaotss to see his exiled favorite. He described the interview «« follow.: - Hubert waa lying down, half asleep, regarding at intervals with half-eh-ut eyea ' the persons who were passing and repassing before him. All of a sudden he raised his head, his tail moved, his eyea dilated; a nervous motion contracted the muscles of his face. He had seen the uniform of the Spabis, but had not yet recognised his friend. I drew nearer and naarer, and, no longer able to re .traiD my emotion, I stretched my hand out to him through the bars . Withou _ ceasing his earnest g»zj he applied his nose to my hand and drew m knowledge with a long breath. At each inhalation his attitude became more noble, hiß look more satisfied and affectionate. Under the uniform that had been so dear to him he began to recognise the friend of his heart. I felt that it only needed a single word to dissipate the doubt. " Hubert 1" I said, as I laid hand on him—" my old soldier 1" Not another word. With a furious bound and a noise of weloome he sprang again .t the iron bars that trembled with the blow. My friend fled m terror, call* ing on me to do the same. Noble animal I You made the world tremble even m your ecstasies of pleasure. Hubert was standing with his cheek agalnßt the grating, attempting to break down the obstacles tha. separated us, magnifioent to behold as he shook the wills of the building with hia roars of jcy and anger, Hia enormous tongue licked tbe hand that I had abandoned to caress, while with his pawß he gently tried to draw me to him. If anyone tried to oome near he fell into frenzies of rage, and when the visitors fell back to a distance he beoame calm and c-resaing as before, handling me with his big paws, robbing against the bars and lloklng my hand, while every gesture and moan and look told of hiß joy and his love. When f turned to leave him he shook the gallery with his heartrending roars; and it was not till I had gone back to him twenty times and tried to make him understand that I would como again that I succeeded ln quitting the place. After that I came to see my friend daily, sometimes spending several hours with him m his oage. Bat after a while I noticed that he beoame sad and dispirited, and when the keeper alluded to his furious agitation and excitement every time I left him, and attributed his worn-out and changed appearanoe to this cause, I took their advioe and made my visits as seldom as possible. One day, bow e four months from the time of my first meeting with him m Paris, X entered the garden, and one of the keepers came forward, saluting, and said j " Don't oome any mqre, sir, Hubert is dead;''