THE LION A MESMERIZER. 293 



As for myself, I can freely say that when I have found 

 myself in the presence of this monarch, I never felt the least 

 desire to join his company, or to say with the poet : 



Out, de ta suite, 6 roi, de ta suite, pen suis. 



Though I can easily understand how the fixed gaze of the 

 lion, together with his majestic bearing and imposing front 

 may so awe a man who suddenly comes into his presence, 

 that he may be rendered totally powerless of escape. 



On the next night, about the middle of the night, while on 

 the hunt, I met a young lion, which seeing me coming to 

 him lay down in the path to await my approach. 



The moon was shining brightly, and I walked to within 

 fifteen paces of him while he still remained perfectly motion- 

 less. I judged by his tactics that it was safest not to come 

 to any closer quarters, and so putting one knee to the ground, 

 I aimed just behind the shoulder, and fired. 



I don't know precisely how it happened, but before I saw 

 or knew anything more, I found myself down on my back, 

 and the lion standing over me, and my arm lying against his 

 front leg. Most fortunately for me, I wore a heavy turban, 

 the folds of which preserved my head. As quickly as I could 

 I slipped my head out of my turban, which the lion was 

 tearing in pieces, and crawling from under my burnous which 

 I also left in his grasp, I found myself once more free. 



I immediately took advantage of my liberty to drive a 

 bullet through the brain of the young fool, who still con- 

 tinued tearing to*pieces my burnous and turban. 



Upon examining the body of my young acquaintance, I 

 traced the first ball that had entered at one side and gone out 

 the other just behind the shoulder. The second ball had 

 made its entrance in one ear, and its exit by the other. This 

 was the fourth lion I had killed in Algeria. 



