72 THE LION KILLER. 



I refused both of these propositions, and urged the chief 

 and his men to depart as the evening was coming on, and the 

 lions might make their appearance at any moment. 



The brave man prepared with regret to comply with my 

 wishes, but before leaving, he asked my permission to say his 

 evening prayer with his people, in order that God might 

 have me in His guard during this night, in which not an eye 

 would be closed on the mountain, but both great and small 

 would listen with beating hearts for the sound of my gun. 



There are tfiose who have no faith in prayer ; but as for 

 me, and I would say it boldly, at the risk of the ridicule of 

 atheists whose opinions are not worth the powder I fired 

 away at sparrows when a boy, I believe in it with my whole 

 soul. 



The sight of these men of a wild and hostile religion, 

 bending in prayer for a Christian, affected 'me sincerely, and 

 I regretted that the rites I professed permitted me to join 

 only mentally in a petition offered to the God of all men, in 

 the forest and on the very spot where in a few hours I would 

 be an actor in death's tragedy. 



The prayer having been finished, the Shiek arose, and 

 coming to me, said : 



" If God hears our prayers, and you will reassure those who 

 love you ; after you have killed your enemy, set fire to the 

 pile of wood that my men will gather for you ; so that when 

 our ears are trembling with the sound of the conflict, our 

 eyes may be gladdened with the token of victory, and 1 pro- 

 mise you we will return answer to it." 



