292 THE LION KILLER. 



truth, I have no arms, and will follow you wherever you 

 will." 



The Arabs who had come to the rescue of the lovers 

 numbered about ten, and seeing that the couple were about 

 to be drawn into the woods, they all took aim together at the 

 lion and fired, when perceiving that the animal did not fall, 

 they all ran away together towards the tents. The lion 

 instantly bounded on Seghir, and crushed his head with one 

 crunch of his jaws, and then laid himself down by the side 

 of the young girl, putting his paws on her knees. 



The Arabs, emboldened by seeing that they were not pur- 

 sued, after they had re-charged their guns, returned to the 

 attack. Fearing for the young girl, they tried to get the lion 

 away from her before firing at him, which they succeeded in 

 doing, but when they lowered their guns to take aim, before 

 they could pull their triggers, the animal bounded on them, 

 and seized one with his teeth, and one with each of his front 

 paws, and then drawing them together in a heap, he lay 

 down on the writhing bodies and commenced slowly to tear 

 them in pieces, and crunch their heads as he had done that 

 of Seghir. 



Those that escaped, fled to the douar where they told what 

 had happened, and the lion picked up the girl and carried her 

 into the woods, while the men in the douar could hear her 

 screams imploring them for help, but did not dare to go to 

 her assistance. 



On --the next day, all the men of the tribe went out to 

 gather the bodies of their friends, but nothing was to be 

 found of the young girl, except her white garment that lay 

 in the woods tangled in her long tresses of hair. Her 

 ravisher had eaten the rest. 



Is it true that the lion can so influence certain feeble 

 minds as to cause them to follow him ? The Arabs firmly 

 believe it, and will cite hundreds of examples 



