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Show FICHT BETWlEN A LION AND LEOPARD. The Zoological gardens at FesLh have just been the Bcene o( a combat worthy of Nero or Heliogahalua . The cage tenanted by a lion and honus happened to he next to that in which dwelt a female leopard, for whom the captive qucon of the desert entertained enter-tained ft Bpecial hatred. Probably she was jealous of tho bright eyea and beautiful skin of her neighbor, Hiid tuav possibly have suspected her lord aud master of cas-ting ft tenner r-I r-I gard of two across the harrier which separated tho two dens. The suspicion, brooded over in silence, became a devouring passion, and it ripened into certainty at the precise moment when vengeance happened to become possible. The keener of the gardens had inadvertently inadver-tently one day left hanging within the lion's cage the chain which Borved to draw up the partition, and the lion was not long iu seizing it and beginning to pull. Whether be WftB ani mated, with a spirit ot fickleneas or by curiosity alone must remain for ever a Becret. But the result was , that the partition flew up and the road remained open irom one cko the other. Through it instantly rushed the lioness, breathing hatred and malice, but the lion had no sooner dropped the chain and prepared pre-pared to to! low in chase than the portcullis tell and the passage was burred again. In the mean time, however, a strugglo commenced between the two lady warriors such as has not been Boen in Europo since the palmy days ; of the amphitheatre. The leopard I worsted at the first onset, attempted to take refugo from the foe by jumping and hanging to tho top rails ol the cage. It waa all in vain, however. She was hrouvht to bav again, and compelled to fight face lo lace with the terrible h invader. For twenty long minutes the battle regArd in royal stylo. The neck and shoulders of the lionecs were deeply furrowed with red gashes. But her victim was overmatched, and at length thrown on her back, wlen the coup de (race was given by the the savage fangs of the victor. The lion, who had been looking on probably with mingled feelings at thesceue, will now, no doubt, be I restored to the affectionate confidence of his Bpouse. Nothing remained, at the end of the -encounter, ol the ! pretty spotted skin which had so cap-1 cap-1 tivated him but a few torn and mangled shreds, and the romance of " the cages, if romance there waa, 1 came to a tragio end. London 1 Globe. |