HUNTING THE LION. 457 



reached the crisis of his enterprise, and finding himseif face to fact 

 with the enemy he had been seeking. 



The lion saw his antagonist, and did not attempt flight. Man. who 

 had so often fallen before his midnight depredations, seemed to him 

 an easy and certain prey. He knew not how Gerard was armed. 



Profiting by the few seconds, which seemed an eternity, during 

 which the monster stood glaring at him, Jules schooled himself to 

 sustain his flashing looks ; then bringing his weapon to bear with a 

 cautious movement, so as not to excite suspicion, he grasped it with 

 the firmness of a vice. His body slightly inclined forward, resting 



on limbs as immovable as buttresses of masonry He pauses 



a moment to steady his aim. If it fail, the monster will be upoa 

 him before he can reload. Life and death are at an issue upon tha* 



single shot. Now he is ready. His finger presses the trigger 



An explosion, of sweeter melody to the ear of our hero than strains 

 of softest music, shows that the trusty weapon has not failed. Stricken 

 between the eyes, the huge beast shakes the earth with a convulsive 

 bound, and as the volume of smoke clears away, Gerard contemplates 

 his victim gasping out its latest breath at his feet. 



As the news spread that the lion was dead, men, women, and 

 children filled the air with shouts of joy. The traces of their de 

 spair and misery passed away. Torches were burned ; guns were 

 fired as the signal for a feast ; wheaten puddings, light beer, and bis- 

 cuits circulated; discordant flourishes of native msic, songs and 

 dances, made up an Arab carnival full of spirit and originality. 



The entire population presently poured along the path that led tc 

 the lion's den their torches shining like a long riband of flame 

 and soon, illumined by the reflection of a thousand torches,, the 

 monster was seen stretched out motionless upon the earth. 



It was one of the fiercest lions of Atlas, exhibiting the very pe* 

 fection of strength and beauty. On measurement, he was found t. 

 be seventeen feet in length, and a thick curly and knotted mau. 

 veiled half of his huge frame. 



One instant kept silent by astonishment, the delirious joy of the 

 multitude quickly found vent in shouts that rent the air. A thou 

 and voices joined in one, like the voice of a thousand grains of 



