236 THE LION KILLER. 



walk. After following for about an hour a forest path, we 

 gained a bare plateau on the ridge of the hill overlooking all 

 the country. 



Another path here joined into the one we had been travel- 

 ling, and Bou-Aziz told me that this place was often visited 

 by the lion, and that we could hear him roar from there after 

 dark, and perchance see him come down the hill. As he 

 used the plural we in speaking, I told him that I intended to 

 do the fighting, and that I only needed him as guide. He 

 replied that this was precisely his own intention, and that I 

 could assure myself that the moment there was anything like 

 a collision between me and the lion, he would relieve me 

 from his presence with a great deal of pleasure. 



Having settled these preliminaries I loaded my rifle with 

 great care, and took my place on a high rock that overlooked 

 the different paths of the lion, and yet was quite near the 

 open ground I before mentioned. 



The night came on without our having seen anything but 

 the wild hogs as they came rooting in the glades, the jackals 

 prowling about, and the hares that fed and gambolled at our 

 very feet, secure in the wild fastnesses of the hills. Bou- 

 Aziz had supposed I was going to return to camp at dark, 

 and was surprised to see me making my preparations to 

 spend the night. Nevertheless his mind had become so 

 much interested in the attempt, that he only left me for a 

 little while, and then returned with two Arabs, bringing 

 with them my supper. Seeing that this might give rise to 

 difficulty, I told Bou-Aziz once for all, that he need not take 

 care of my meals, that in the morning we would put into tho 



