308 THE LION KILLER. 



Abdallah, who was at the head of his band, saw her first, 

 as she lay tranquilly watching their coming. 



The minstrel halted and pointed out her highness to his 

 friends, who laughing, said to him, " Since she does you the 

 honor of reclining on your ground, you should return the 

 favor by singing something for her. 



Abdallah was piqued by the ridicule, and seeing that it 

 was a young lioness, about two years old, he walked forward 

 towards her, supposing that she would escape when she 

 saw him approaching. 



When within about fifty paces, he struck up a ballad, the 

 chorus of which ran in this wise : 



" Oh, where is your spouse, my lady small, 

 For without your spouse you're nothing at all." 



He had not completed his verse before the lioness was on 

 her feet, and with her head almost to the ground, and her 

 ears lying close to her "neck, she marched right up to the 

 impertinent minstrel. 



Abdallah was no coward because he was a great singer. 

 He knelt down on one knee, and when the lioness was within 

 ten paces, he sent three balls into her breast. 



But this was a small wound to one of her species, and 

 before the gay improvisatore could sing again, or fly, he lay 

 senseless on his back, with the claws of the lioness on his 

 shoulder, and her ivory teeth grasping the throat that had 

 insulted her with the scandalous song. As the poor man 

 gave no further sign of life, she then left him, and quietly 

 withdrew from the field, stopping from time to time, to lick 

 the blood that trickled from the wounds in her breast. 



When she had completely disappeared, these valorous com- 

 rades who had at first tied, returned and carried off the breathless 

 body of Abdallah. They thought they were bearing a corpse, 

 but were mistaken, for thanks to a native physician, and a 



