334 THE LION KILLER. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



SHOWING THE SKILL OF THE LION IN THE COMMISSARIAT 

 DEPARTMENT. 



In the spring of the year 1840, a body of troops, among 

 which was myself, was marching towards the frontiers of 

 Tunis. 



One morning after the tents were struck, and the men had 

 been on the road about an hour, while they were following a 

 path on the right bank of the Ouled Meleh, in the Enbeil 

 country, they came across a lion, or rather, a lion came 

 across them. The path was quite narrow, and the troops 

 were marching in file, when the lion calmly walked across 

 their path, between the musicians and the head of the 

 column, and then, when he had gone about a gun-shot off, he 

 quietly sat down on a little hillock, to see the parade of so 

 many men, that must have been to him a spectacle as curious 

 as unusual. 



Colonel de Tourville, who was in command of the forces, 

 had caused the cavalry to remain behind, until all the other 

 troops had passed the defile, and therefore I did not learn of 

 the circumstance until some time had elapsed, and then 

 through the medium of one of the guards who had cantered 

 back to tell me. 



I immediately set out on the trail of the animal, on horse- 

 back, and a spahi accompanied me to hold my horse, in case 

 I wanted to dismount. 



