206 THE LION. 



fold. ' Look,' said he, ' there is part of some 

 of the mats we tore from the house and burned, 

 to frighten him away.' On asking him how he 

 could think of appointing me to sleep in that very 

 spot? 'Oh!' he rejoined, 'the lion would not 

 have the audacity to jump over on you.' This 

 remark produced a laugh from me, in which he 

 and his wife joined most heartily; and reminded 

 me of a circumstance in his own history, with 

 which I was well acquainted, viz., ' that he him- 

 self had once been in the jaws of a lion. " 



Again, " Some short time since," writes Free- 

 man, " three men and a boy were sleeping in the 

 open air, whilst travelling through the Madoors' 

 country. Two of the men were by themselves ; 

 the other man and the boy were also by them- 

 selves, wrapt up in a blanket. Whilst they were 

 asleep, a lion came and walked off with the two 

 in the blanket ; they effected their escape, left 

 the monster in possession of the warm coverlet, 

 and stole back to their companions to give the 

 alarm. Whilst the man was relating the adven- 

 ture the lion came and pounced on him, seized 

 him by the neck, and killed him. lie had just 

 time to cry, ' Shoot ! shoot ! ' His companions did 

 so, shot the lion in the neck, and destroyed him. 

 Other lions were supposed to be in the neighbour- 

 hood, and the surviving two men and a boy es- 

 caped as fast as they could. They returned next 

 morning to get the body of their companion, and 

 inter it; but found that it had been devoured 

 during the night, and the very lion that they 



