ARABS TAUNTING THE [JON. 70 



to the beast, calling out loudly, " Xay, stop a little. 

 To-day wo must indeed talk with each other." 

 Whether the lion thought he could not escape, or 

 that he considered his dignity concerned, I shall 

 not, presume to say, but, at all events, he stopped 

 to look at his pursuer. No sooner, however, had he 

 turned his head than a well directed ball entered 

 one of his eyes and laid him low in an instant. 



The Algerian Arabs, also, General Dumas tells 

 us, when about to assail the lion, and to cause him 

 to come forth from his lair, taunt him, and apply 

 to him the most opprobious epithets to be found iu 

 the Mussulman vocabulary, as for instance, 



" There is he who deems himself the bravest of 

 the brave; he dares not appear before men; it is 

 not he, it is not the lion ; it is nothing but a 

 cowardly thief; may God confound him." 



The Arabs iu question would seem to attribute 

 more efficacy to the human voice than even the 

 wild tribes of Southern Africa, for they say that, if 

 a man encounters a lion in the night time, he has 

 only to flourish his sabre, or other weapon that 

 he may have about him (taking care, however, 

 not to strike) in its face, and repeat the following 

 polite and amusing words, when the beast will 

 immediately go his way. 



" Oh, the thief, the highway robber ; the son of her 

 that never refused (said no); do you want to frighten 

 me; do you not know that L am such a one, son 

 of such a one 'r liise, and let me go on my way." 



By thus applying the epithet thief to the lion, 

 these men affirm the dignity of the royal beast be- 



