THE CHASE OF THE PANTHER. *73 



I willingly agreed to Tai'eb's request, and in a moment an 

 immense pile of dry wood was gathered together, and 

 arranged so that a spark would kindle it. While the 

 Arabs were engaged in this work with an alacrity very seldom 

 seen among them, who are generally laziness personified, the 

 Shiek remained by me and said. 



u If I knew you would not mock at me, I would give you a 

 counsel." 



u The words of an old man," I replied, " are always to be 

 honored." 



" Then listen, my son ! If the lions come here to-night, the 

 seignor with the big head (the Arabs give this name only to 

 the adult male lion), will walk in front; don't pay any atten- 

 tion to the others. The young ones are so old that the 

 mother don't take any further care of them, and all rely on 

 the father. Therefore, I commend to thee the seignor with 

 the big head, and, remember, if thy last hour is at hand it is 

 he that will kill thee, and the young ones will eat thee." 



His men calling to him at this moment, he answered them 

 to go on ahead, and that he would follow, and then leaning 

 forward he put his mouth to my ear, and said, " He stole my 

 finest horse and ten beeves." 



"Who did that?" I replied. 



" He did it," he answered pointing towards the slope of 

 the mountain. 

 i " But who is the thief," I asked, impatient at the delay. 



* The seignor with the big head." 



These last words were said so low that I could hear only 



