326 THE LION KILLER. 



disposition, could no longer close its eyes to this sad breach 

 of all military discipline. Hubert was condemned to death, 

 or imprisonment for life ; and it was I, his dearest friend, 

 who had so often shared with him my bed, that was charged 

 with the execution of the sentence. 



My first intention was to give him his liberty, but I feared 

 lest having been always accustomed to the presence of men, 

 he would only come back to the camp to plunder and kill, 

 and so I took the next best course, and Hubert soon found 

 himself the lonely tenant of an iron cage instead of the 

 honored guest of Guelma. 



With the first days of his imprisonment, I would occasion- 

 ally come to his cage in the evening to while away some of 

 his lonely hours. As soon as the door was opened, he would 

 bound joyously out, and then after kissing each other in the 

 tenderest manner, we would commence a game of hide-and- 

 go-seek. One evening, however, he embraced me so lovingly 

 that I would have been smothered had not my comrades run 

 to my aid, and with their scabbards relieved me from his 

 crushing caresses. This was the last time we indulged in 

 this game together, and yet I can do my friend the justice to 

 say, that I never saw the least bad intent on his part, for 

 whenever he was gambolling with me or any other of his 

 acquaintances, he always avoided using his teeth or claws, 

 and his manners were ever most kind and affectionate. 



After he was confined to his cage, his character became 

 very much changed, and he was irritable and restless ; walk- 

 ing up and down his narrow limits, he made the walls resound 

 to his heavy voice and the clanking of his chain. I then 

 conceived the idea of separating myself from him, and made 

 known my intentions. 



An officer of the king of Sardinia wanted to buy him for 

 three thousand francs, but I could not sell Hubert, as I had 

 sold the skins of lions I had killed — Hubert, my child of tho 



