50 THE LION KILLER. 



was crowed over by a young man in the assembly, who 

 said : 



" Ha ! those are only scratches. I could show you some- 

 thing more dreadful than that, if I dared." 



At these words ; if I dared, the whole party turned in a 

 moment, from the consideration of the greatest importance, 

 and changing their air of solemn gravity, to childish hilaritv, 

 began to cry 



" If he dared !" 



" He will dare !" 



"He will not dare I" 



" He will show us I" 



" He will not show us, his wife has seen it, but we can't." 



All this time, the poor devil, all abashed and confused, 

 turned around in the middle of the circle, desiring, but not 

 able, to get out of the trap he had so unwittingly sprung. 

 Turning away, I noticed standing near me, an old man and a 

 boy, who seemed to be taking no part in the discussion 

 around them, but who were talking together with great ani- 

 mation. At the first word I was able to hear, I understood 

 that it was a father and son. 



" My child," said the old man, " you know I am growing 

 old, that you are my only son, and if you should meet with 

 snj misfortune to-day, I should die of grief." 



" Am I not a man V replied the boy. 



" Yes, you are a man," said the father, with a smile, " and 

 [ am proud of you ; child of my own heart. But your brother 

 was a man as well as you ; nevertheless, he was killed by a 

 lion last year, on this very mountain, and I was there — I 



