GEBAKD, THE LION SLAYER. 487 



at the foot of the mountain, when I learned that he was at the 

 Fed-Jong, where, on my arrival, I found he had gained the 

 Aures. After travelling one hundred leagues in ten days in 

 the track of my brute, without catching a glimpse of any thing 

 but his foot-points, I was gratified on the night of the 22nd 

 of August, with the sound of my lord's voice. I had established 

 my tent in the valley of Ousten. As there is only one path 

 across this thickly covered valley, I found it an easy task to 

 discover his track and follow it to his lair. At six o'clock in 

 the evening I alighted upon a hillock, commanding a prospect 

 of the country around. I was accompanied by a native of the 

 country and my spahi, one carrying my carbine, the other my 

 old gun. As I had anticipated, the lion roared under cover 

 at dawn of day ; but instead of advancing towards me, he 

 started off in a westerly direction, at such a pace that it was 

 impossible for me to come up with him. I retraced my steps 

 at midnight, and took up my quarters at the foot of a tree 

 upon the path which the lion had taken. The country about 

 this spot was cleared and cultivated. The moon being favo- 

 rable, the approach of anything could be descried in every 

 direction. I installed myself and waited. Weary, after a 

 ride of several hours, over a very irregular country, and not 

 expecting any chance that night, I enjoined my spahi to keep 

 a good watch, and lay down. I was just about to fall asleep, 

 when I felt a gentle pull at my burnous. On getting up I 

 was able to make out two lions, sitting one beside the other, 

 about one hundred paces off, and exactly on the path in which 

 I had taken up my position. At first I thought we had been 

 perceived, and prepared to make the best of this discovery. 

 The moon shed a light over the entire ground which the lions 

 would have to cross in order to reach the tree, close to which 

 all within a circumference of ten paces was completely dark, 

 both on account of the thickness of the tree and the shadow 

 cast by the foliage. My spahi, like me, was in range of the 

 shadow, while the Arab lay snoring ten paces off in the full 



