MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LION HUNTING. 257 



"This devil of a Christian will drown us like two dogs in 

 the dark" 



" Your wives were right in stopping you," answered Bou- 

 Aziz, laughing, " and you will find after you have followed 

 him for a week, that you will be twenty pounds the lighter." 



This conversation, carried on in the midst of the river, was 

 interrupted by a singular encounter, which I will mention as 

 a curious incident of African travel. 



When mounting the bank of the river I had looked all 

 around me at every bush and stone, to guard against any 

 surprise. For a moment, while stepping up the bank, I caught 

 sight of a thick-set tree growing in our path, when I thought 

 I remarked it moving to the right. A moment after, I saw 

 the same tree, and it seemed to move to the left. But in a 

 moment more, the question could not be decided at all, for 

 the tree had altogether disappeared. 



I halted till Bou-Aziz came to my side, when I communi- 

 cated to him what I had seen, and he said, 



" They are night robbers, let us straight at the dogs." 



A rather curious name I thought for my friend to apply to 

 gentlemen of his own profession. 



In a moment we were on the spot when the tree had dis- 

 appeared, and we found it lying flat on the ground. It was 

 a beautiful mastic, about twelve feet in height and bearing 

 thick-set branches from the root to the top. While I was 

 walking around this peripatetic plant, trying to make out 

 what manner of tree it might be, it suddenly arose to its feet, 

 if feet it had, and two men perfectly naked and without 

 any weapons, walked out from under it, and politely bowing, 

 said to us, " Peace be with you." 



" Do you understand all that ?" I said to Bou-Aziz, who 

 was standing by, regarding these novel travellers with a dis- 

 dainful air. 



" No," he said, " we will just strangle them or shoot them 

 as you please, which shall it be ?" 



