THE HISTORY OF A FOUNDLING. 319 



hunting- knife, I cut away the branches, so that I had a little 

 aisle before me, and then seated myself at the foot of a cork 

 tree, to await the progress of events. My order of battle 

 was very simple where there were so few foes, and I had such 

 small resources, it was simply to wait until the lioness showed 

 her head inside of my clearing, and then to blow out her 

 brains with my gun ; that is, if I could. 



As night gathered her folds, closer and closer, around the 

 bower, I brought all my senses into play to give me informa- 

 tion of the approach of the animal. My hearing became 

 acute with the lack of seeing, and every noise came to my 

 ear with perfect distinctness, and the hundred voices of nature, 

 that whisper all night in the forest, told me the motions of 

 her creatures. 



Now a rat, rustling in'the dried leaves, and now a tapir's 

 tread, as he quitted his couch, seemed like that of my friend, 

 the lioness. 



Then a jackal would come prying around in search of 

 some of the crumbs that had fallen from his mistress's table, 

 and for a moment deceive me, until his mumbling the bones 

 the lion's whelps had picked, would destroy the illusion. 

 Then the wind's motion in the trees, and then some insect 

 burrowing in the earth, or restless bird would give a sound that 

 would draw my attention, and tax my powers to explain. 

 For more than two mortal hours I was doomed to wait and 

 watch, until all my nerves became strung like a bow-string, 

 and my arm was weary with the weight of my gun. Finally, 

 I' leaned back against the tree, with the firm determination 

 of waiting until the eyes of the lioness should come forth 

 to lighten the darkness and show me my target. 



I must needs digress a moment to inform the reader 

 why it was that I had been called to aid the Arabs against 

 their enemy, without their attempting anything for them- 

 selves. 



