MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LION HUNTING. 217 



wait. In measuring the distance from the mastic tree to the 

 head of the boar, I found it just twelve paces. After having 

 decided this nice point in controversy, and made the observa- 

 tions that I thought might some day be useful, I followed the 

 footsteps of the lion after his supper. I found that he had 

 lain down in many places around the edge of the clearing, 

 and then had gone through the woods to the brook at the 

 bottom of the valley, where he had again lain down to 

 drink. 



At about a hundred paces from this he had left the woods, 

 and followed a path to the douars, to which he had given such 

 a night of terror. 



In seeing me passing, several Arabs came out to ask if I 

 had heard the lion. I remembered too keenly the bad recep- 

 tion they had once given me to answer very kindly. As they 

 remarked how coldly I responded to their questions, they 

 commenced telling me that if I should ever succeed in free- 

 ing them from this scourge, no one would be equal to me in 

 their country, and that in testimony of such a benefaction 

 they would give me one half of all they possessed. Without 

 believing all they told me, which seemed to be said under the 

 effect of fear, I said to them I would do all that lay in my 

 power ; and that the past night had been more fortunate for 

 me than for the lion. 



In fact, I had learned during that night a world of things 

 concerning the lion, of which, up to that time, I had not the 

 slightest idea. In the space of a few miles I had had the 

 opportunity of examining, of following, and comparing the 



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