MY FRIEND M0I1AMMED-BEN-0UMBARK. 311 



the path, and a bush on either side of me, sheltered me from 

 being seen by any animal on the road, until it came directly 

 opposite to me. The noise approached little by little, though 

 it appeared to be less than that made by a lion when walking 

 on the stony path, whose heavy foot-fall one can hear from a 

 considerable distance. At this moment I heard a cough. 

 Now I have often heard the lion sneeze, but I never heard 

 him cough, and judging from his voice, I should say, that if he 

 ever did t it would be something like the explosion of a powder 

 blast. " If it is not a lion, it must be a man, and a bold one 

 to venture in such a place at midnight," said I to my- 

 self. 



I confess I was displeased at the prospect of encountering 

 so dangerous a marauder. Being constantly in the Mahouna 

 country, as a matter of policy I had always avoided shedding 

 blood under every circumstance, though I found myself in this 

 instance almost obliged to do so for my own safety. 



I resolved to try a surprise in order to avoid this sad 

 necessity. 



I placed my gun at my side, having first cocked it, and 

 loosened my dagger in its sheath ; I then took off my burnous 

 and held it loose in my hand, waiting the approach of the 

 marauder. At the moment he came opposite to me, I threw 

 my burnous over his head, and grasped him around his body 

 with both my arms pinning his own to his side. 



The word traitor was the first he uttered. I did not stop, 

 however, to parley words, but taking advantage of the posi- 

 tion in which I held him, and my old habit of wrestling, I 

 passed my leg around his, and threw him to the earth. 

 When down, I called out: 



" Never fear ; down with your arms, I am Gerard, the lion 

 killer !" 



My night wanderer immediately gave up. In five minutes 

 more we were smoking the same pipe around a fire, that 



