THE LION A MESMERIZER. 291 



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true or not, the following story which I heard at the douar, 

 will not be amiss. 



Once upon a time, and that time about thirty years ago, 

 a young man of the tribe of Amemera, which tribe holds the 

 lands that lie by the foot of Mount Aures, loved and was 

 beloved by a beautiful girl. He applied to the father of the 

 maiden for the hand of his daughter, but the old man, more 

 thoughtful for flocks and herds than youthful sentiments, 

 refused a groom who could scarcely endow his bride with a 

 goat. 



Yet still the love was not diminished, though the heavens 

 did not smile, and one "fine night the lady's tent was empty, 

 and she on the open plain with her arm on her lover's 

 shoulder, was seeking a dearer home. 



Seghir, her inteuded, was armed as an Arab should be, 

 with steel and gun, and though the distance from douar to 

 douar was long, yet still the feet of love are swift, and the 

 tents of Seghir's tribe already shone white in the starlight 

 before them, and Seghir's hounds could be heard baying 

 hoarse welcome to their approach — when suddenly a lion 

 sprang up in the path before them. 



The girl shrieked so loud in her terror, that the men in 

 the camp heard her cries, and came rushing to her succor. 

 When they reached the place guided by the voice, they saw 

 the lion walking slowly towards the woods, with his eyes 

 fastened on Seghir, who was following him. 



The young girl tried hard to draw her lover back, but he 

 held her hand and pulled her along in spite of her resistance, 

 saying : 



" Come, dearest, our seignior calls us !" 



" "No ! No ! Your arms, Seghir, are they useless to savo 

 me?" 



" My arms, I have none," answered the fascinated man ; 

 "don't listen to her, my seignior, she does not speak the 



