14 THE LION KILLER. 



ists, who have written upon this animal, have treated him as 

 if he lived in the day-time only, and none of them have raised 

 the veil that covers his nocturnal habits. 



This grievous and inexplicable omission I will endeavor to 

 supply, by taking the lion at his birth, and following him, step 

 by step, to the hour of his death ; too happy if the acquain- 

 tance with him which I have formed can dissipate the false 

 ideas that I have heard a hundred times expressed in regard 

 to him in France, and even in Algiers where the natives 

 alone understand his character. 



It is ordinarily at the end of January that the monarch of 

 Africa seeks his royal consort. 



As the males are, by one third, more numerous than the 

 females, it is not an uncommon occurrence to find one of 

 these dusky belles accompanied by two or three pretendants, 

 who indulge in most desperate battles for her favor. She at 

 last becoming ennuyed to find that these gallants do not 

 strangle each other to share her undivided love, leads them 

 towards the haunt of some brave old lion, whose valor is 

 known afar by the thunder of his voice. The disputing lovers 

 arrive with their mistress in the presence of the new rival, 

 and march bravely forward. The negotiations are not long, 

 and the result of the encounter is always certain. Attacked 

 by the three lovers at once the old lion receives them without 

 moving from his place ; he strangles the first with a grasp of 

 his jaws, the second is thrown aside with a broken Teg, and 

 the third feels himself very happy if he can get away from 

 the battle with one eye, which he very hastily does, leaving 

 the other in the claws of his master. 



