MY FRIEND ABDALLAH, THE MINSTREL. 301 



CHAPTER XIX. 



MY FRIEND ABDALLAH, THE MINSTREL. 



While waiting for my health, to become stronger, that I 

 may continue the story of my divers hunts in their order, I 

 will sketch for you, my dear reader, the character of two of 

 the hosts that presided at the banquet in the Mahouna 

 country that I have just described. 



The first of these dignitaries is Abdallah, the improvisatore 

 and minstrel. 



One, day, or rather, one evening, while returning home 

 from a party where he had been a guest, he saw a big herd 

 of wild hogs rooting up his newly sown wheat-field, with a 

 pleasure apparently much greater than that of their host in 

 making the discovery. 



To run to his tent and hang up his flute where whilom 

 hung his gun, required but a moment for one who understood 

 how hard work it is to plant a field of wheat, and in two 

 minutes he had regained the field, accompanied by five or six 

 of his comrades. But, alas, the grunting, ungrateful herd, 

 having eaten their fill, had "disappeared, without even calling 

 for their bill, leaving nothing but confusion and tracks to 

 mark their place. Instead of the wild hogs, however, the 

 party suddenly came across a lioness, that lay crouched in 

 a furrow near where the boars had been at work. 



