206 THE LION KILLER. 



and which is given only to the chiefs of the highest rank. 

 Chackar was ennobled with gifts and honors, and all his 

 friends and relatives, and the Pacha himself said to him, 

 ' Enough, Chackar, enough ; let this be your last, God is with 

 you, it is true, but do not abuse his bounties ;' but Chackar 

 still followed the chase as ardently as ever, and never seemed 

 at home except when on the lion's trail. 



"One day he arrived at Mahouna, his favorite hunting- 

 ground, and the inhabitants received him as usual, with joy and 

 gratitude ; for there was a lion that, within a short time, had 

 taken up his residence in the country, and was eating* great 

 and small, as if God had created them all only for his appetite. 



" The first day the hunter devoted to repose, and in the 

 evening a beef was killed in consideration of the brave man, 

 and eaten in honor of the lion, whose funeral they celebrated 

 in advance, with a fusillade of merry guns, in order that he 

 might be well notified of his coming decease. 



"On the morrow, the hunter visited the different blinds 

 that he had made in the manner of this one, and he dis- 

 covered the tracks of the lion near one of them, so he 

 established himself there, and a little before nightfall, an 

 Arab brought him a kid, destined for bait. Chackar entered 

 first, the kid was pushed in afterwards, and then the door 

 was closed, and the Arab having said, ' God be with yoxi] 

 took to his heels and was soon safe in his camp. The night 

 was clear and still, and the Arabs on the plain listened for 

 some sound that would tell of Chackar's success. About mid- 

 night the sound of a gun echoed through the mountains. The 

 Arabs rushed from their tents, and they heard the lion roar- 



