My FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LION HUNTING. 255 



endeavor to conceal their dissatisfaction in seeing a Nazarene 

 in their tents, and gave evil prophecies for my success. 



This constant aversion of the women was of the less conse- 

 quence to me, now that I had the good opinion of the men, 

 yet nevertheless I anxiously looked forward to the time when 

 I should command their respect. 



Accordingly, I told Bou-Aziz that we would start in an 

 hour so as to spend as much of the seven remaining days as 

 possible on the mountains. He seemed anxious in regard to 

 the manner that we should live in the woods, but I told him 

 we could take our customary supply of cakes and dates, and 

 if this did not suffice for him, that there were a plenty of 

 douars in the neighborhood of the hills where he might go 

 to get a more substantial meal. This pleased him well, and 

 he immediately commenced preparations for our departure 

 together with our host, who had made up his mind to 

 accompany us. 



I was a spectator of a curious scene that took place 

 between the latter gentleman and the ladies of his household, 

 who in no wise relished his intended departure. 



At the moment that he was taking out his gun from its 

 cover in his tent, seated quietly by my side, one of his wives 

 bounded like a panther out of that portion of the tent reserved 

 for females into the place where we were seated, and before 

 the husband could comprehend the reason of this act, so con- 

 trary to all Arab ideas of propriety, she had snatched the gun 

 from his hands and had escaped into her own apartment. 



The husband glanced at me from under his turban, to see 

 what I thought of this novel proceeding, but I acted as 

 though I had not seen it, and continued my preparations. 



He then lifted the curtain that separated the two apart- 

 ments, and passed into his wife's chamber. I now heard a 

 very animated discussion arising between the two spouses. 

 The husband wanted his gun, but the lady remained firm 

 saying, "You are mad, let this dog of a Christian give him- 



