314 ■ THE LION KILLER. 



side, waiting- to receive his reward. In order to fill all the 

 orders lie received, Mohammed sometimes visited the Arabs 

 and sometimes the Kabyles. 



They first attach their horses to a cord fastened to two 

 stakes driven in the ground, either within or without the 

 tent, but generally without. 



To be successful in horse stealing, the robber is obliged to 

 unfasten the horse and carry him off with perfect secrecy. It 

 may readily be imagined that this is no easy work to accom- 

 plish in a populous camp, protected by a multitude of dogs, 

 and yet Mohammed called it child's play. 



The operation was the more delicate with the Kabyles, as 

 they live in houses without windows, and fasten their doors 

 after entering at night. This was his manner of dealing with 

 these people, and by which he almost always came off suc- 

 cessful. 



With the agility and caution of a cat he would climb on 

 the roof of the shed where the beast that he coveted was 

 stabled. Then he carefully pulled away the thatch, until he 

 had made a hole large enough to introduce his body, and 

 softly let himself down to his arm's length, and then drop 

 down in the house at the risk of bouncing like the nightmare 

 on the stomach of the lord of the manor. Once safely within, 

 and no one awakened, he felt around on the fireplace for a 

 live coal under the ashes, and blowed a half flame to see 

 how things were located. Having made his survey without 

 arousing any of the inmates, he would open the door, lead 

 out the horse that pleased him best, and flee off into the night. 



But if by chance some one of the sleepers that strew the 

 floor, awakens, Mohammed lies down by his side, and snores 

 like a trooper, his dusky burnous covering his face, and 

 making him look like the rest of the family. If the host 

 becomes fully awake and attempts to rise, the yataghan sends 

 him again to sleep, and he lies down for ever. 



