146 THE LION KILLER. 



all rush after the fated bird, and the chase acquires an 

 immense interest. 



All the horsemen that are scattered over the great plain, 

 spur their horses to their speed and gather around their 

 chief with their eyes on the heavens, shouting to their favorite 

 birds. 



The struggle is generally very long and fierce. Feathers 

 come floating down from above like snow, and faint cries are 

 heard at intervals. At last, when the falcons have towered 

 above the bustard, and broken a wing or torn out an eydfthe 

 great bird yields, and bustard and falcons together tumble to 

 the earth in the midst of the circle formed by the horsemen, 

 sometimes both being killed by the fall. 



It sometimes happens that the bustard, instead of ascending 

 vertically after separating from its companions, flies straight 

 from the chase, drawing after it both falcons and horsemen. 

 The falcons rush after it, and sometimes succeed in bringing 

 it down by breaking a wing ; but it often occurs that after 

 several hours of this kind of coursing, the master gives the 

 signal of retreat, leaving to the falconers the duty of following 

 the chase in order not to lose all his birds. 



I will here relate a fact I have heard, proving the strength 

 and swiftness of the bustard and falcon. 



In the winter of 1853, some Arabs of Ferjioua having 

 taken a bustard and falcon which had fallen near them on 

 the plain, carried both to their Sheik, who, on inquiring 

 about it, found that this falcon belonged to a southern chief, 

 who had been hunting in the plain of El-Outaia the same 

 day that his falcon had caught and killed the bustard in 



