Rev. II. B. Tristram's Notes from Eastern Algeria. 371 



a large St. Bernard dog, but very much heavier and more stoutly 

 built. I instantly, as the beast rose and stood before me, fired 

 one barrel right in his face, before I had at all realized what 

 it was, and the second trigger was pulled ere I perceived the 

 mistake I had made. One barrel was charged with No. 4 shot, 

 the other with a green cartridge of the same. The beast seemed 

 perplexed for a moment, for both charges had evidently lodged in 

 his face, and perhaps in his eyes, as he sprang up with a note 

 something between a howl, a roar and a wail, with a considerable 

 undercurrent of a growl. My first impulse was to follow; my 

 second, on which I promptly acted, was to make a precipitate 

 retreat sideways into the tangle, and creep up as speedily as love 

 of life would enable me. I had hardly re-entered the cover, 

 when I felt rather than saw the young lion rush down the tun- 

 nel. Probably, and most providentially, the shot had blinded 

 him for an instant. I now began to reflect on the hastiness and 

 folly of my proceeding, for as the beast could not have been two 

 years old, his mother was probably not far off, and I certainly 

 was not in a fitting condition to pay so grand a lady a morning- 

 call alone, and without a single ball by way of a card in my 

 pocket. Regardless of dignity, or the reputation of courage, I 

 therefore withdrew as fast as the brushwood would permit, and 

 was indeed thankful to gain the open glade, where in broad day- 

 light I was safe. But Salah and the horses had gone on, and 

 I had a weary tramp before my whistle recalled them. I found 

 that the rascal, on hearing the report and the roar of the wild 

 beast, had guessed the affair, and dearly loving a whole skin had 

 taken care to put space between danger and himself. He drew 

 a comical picture of his ruffled feelings for the last half-hour, 

 which I will venture to give in the vernacular which was our 

 vehicle for the interchange of ideas. " Ah, Sidi sebaa " [master 

 lion ; for an Arab always speaks respectfully of the lion) mangiar 

 Sidi Inglez. Salah mafish andar imshi fisa el mercanti. Salah 

 andar — Arbiah vole hassan — Sidi sebaa mangiar Salah. Salah 

 reste um plore :" — which, being translated from the lingua Sabir, 

 means — "Ah, master lion eats master Englishman. Salah cannot 

 run and go to help his master; for if Salah goes, the Arabs will 



