THE LION' A MESMERIZER. 289 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE LION A MESMERIZER. 



It was early in the pleasant month of June, that the people 

 of Mahouna sent me a messenger, praying me to come and 

 pass judgment on certain criminals of the leonine tribe, that 

 had been acting the part of great sinners towards them, and 

 were still at large and unpunished. This was, however, not 

 so much owing to their not deserving the penalty of the law, 

 as to a certain timidity that universally prevails on the part 

 of the lawgivers towards these powerful freebooters. 



I accordingly put myself under the guidance of the 

 mahogany colored mercury that brought the message, and 

 after a few hours of reckless riding over the undulating plain, 

 I threw myself down on the mats of the hospitable douars of 

 his tribe. The evening had already cooled the day, and old 

 and young gathered around the ruddy fire to tell of old 

 adventures, or speculate on the chances of the morrow. 

 Legend and tale followed each other in rapid course, and apt 

 quotations from the Koran, proved the truth of facts that 

 might otherwise have been met with incredulity. 



From all these sources I learned the following habits of my 

 favorite animal, that 1 give the more readily as they are con- 

 firmed by my after experience. 



The lion treats a man very differently from any animal that 

 he is accustomed to kill for food. If he kills a person w r ho 



13 



