THE SULTANA OF THE DESERT. 31 



ing them over her ears from time to time as prettily as a 

 kitten. " Very well done," thought the soldier ; " she does 

 her toilet very handsomely." He seized a little dagger 

 which he had taken from the Arabs, and prepared to bid 

 her good-morning. At this moment the panther turned 

 her head and saw him. 



12. The fixedness of her bright metallic eyes made the 

 soldier tremble. She arose and moved toward him. With 

 great presence of mind he looked her directly in the eye. 

 When she came up to him he gently scratched her head 

 and smoothed her fur. Her eyes gradually softened, and 

 at last she purred like a petted cat ; but so deep and 

 strong were her notes of joy that they resounded through 

 the cave like the rolling of a church-organ. 



13. The Frenchman redoubled his caresses, and turned 

 and went out of the grotto. The panther came bounding 

 after him, lifting up her back and rubbing like an affec- 

 tionate kitten. He felt of her ears and throat, and, per- 

 ceiving that she was pleased with it, he began to tickle 

 the back of her head with the point of his dagger, hoping 

 to find an opportunity to stab her ; but her strength and 

 size made him tremble lest he should not succeed. 



14. The beautiful sultana of the desert tried the cour- 

 age of her companion by stretching out her neck and rub- 

 bing against him. He raised his arm to give the fatal 

 blow ; but at that moment she crouched gently at his feet 

 and looked up in his face with a strange mixture of af- 

 fection and native fierceness. The soldier's arm fell, and 

 she licked his shoes and purred. During the whole day 

 the panther attended him as a dog does his master, and 

 never suffered him to be out of sight. 



15. Taking courage from the past, he began to hope 

 he could get along very comfortably with his new com- 

 panion. He seated himself by her and patted her neck 



