HABITS OF THE LION. 25 



on visiting their cell, found it empty, and no one knew how 

 they had escaped. The two brothers, as soon as they were 

 free from the prison enclosure, made unavailing efforts to cut 

 or pry off their cumbersome ornament, but finding it impos- 

 sible, fled across the country, avoiding as much as possible 

 the frequented paths. When daylight came they hid them- 

 selves in the rocks, and only resumed their flight with the- 

 evening, being lighted on their way by the faint rays of a 

 crescent moon, and the bright hope of freedom. Thus they 

 had already travelled a long distance, when, in the middle of 

 the second night, they suddenly came upon a lion. 



The two robbers commenced by throwing stones at him, 

 and calling out as loud as they were able, in order to make 

 him flee, but the animal crouched down before them and did 

 not move. Seeing that the stones and menaces were of no 

 avail, the frightened men commenced their prayers ; but 

 before they were finished, the lion sprang upon them, and 

 throwing them to the ground, devoured the elder while still 

 chained to the body of his younger brother. The living man, 

 as he heard the lessening moans of his relative, and the crunch- 

 ing of the lion at his hideous meal, had no trouble in counter- 

 feiting death, but swooned where he fell. When the animal 

 had eaten the body down to the shackle, finding a substance 

 he could not masticate, he bit off the leg of the brother he 

 was eating below the knee, leaving the lower part of the 

 limb still confined in the iron link. Then, either from thirst 

 or from being satisfied with what he had eaten, he left the 

 living man, and walked down to a brook, a little distance off. 



The poor devil, once alone, sprang to his feet, and dragging 



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