2G6 THE LION KILLER. 



After me it came the lion's turn; and they overwhelmed him 

 with recriminations and blows, and then from time to time 

 fired their guns in the air to spread the glad tidings to the 

 distant douars. After they had leaped and gambolled, and 

 hurrahed over the animal, I was permitted to draw near him, 

 and examine him at my ease, to look at the size of his teeth, 

 and to measure the strength of his limbs, and place my hand 

 on his tawny mane. I had no difficulty in recognizing him 

 by the Arab description of the venerable. 



To give an idea of this lion, it will suffice me to say that 

 the united strength of us three men was not sufficient to turn 

 him over as he lay, and that his head was so heavy that I could 

 scarcely lift it from the earth. 



With the echoes from the reports of my companions' guns, 

 came the distant sound of musketry ; now here and now 

 there, as the signal was rung from douar to douar, aroi.nd 

 the whole base of the mountain, until at last it was a general 

 fusillade. In about an hour, the Arabs came in on foot and 

 horseback, hurrying forward to touch and insult a foe that 

 had chilled their very souls while living. After great efforts, 

 we at length were enabled to put the lion on two mules, 

 placed side by side, and in this manner marched down the 

 mountain. It was about midnight when we reached the 

 douar, and made our triumphal entry by the light of huge 

 bonfires with the sound of music and of guns, and the women 

 chanting the war-song to the clapping of their hands. The 

 body of the fallen king was laid out in state on a mat between 

 two fires, and the whole population of the country marched 

 in front of him in stately procession, that they might admire 

 and apostrophize the mighty dead, and all night long and 

 until the sunrise of the morrow, high revel and a royal wake 

 was held in all the tents for the lion of El Archioua. 



Early in the morning I left for Guelma, accompanied by a 

 thousand heartfelt benedictions. The hatred of the women 



