THE MISFORTUNES OF LAKDAR. 345 



animal life that peoples the night, hare, and lynx, and 

 jackal, and the hundreds of little harlequins of the forest 

 court, all unknown even by name to self proud men, sported 

 each after his manner, in the faint light of the crescent moon. 

 There was creaking in the trees, stirring amid the leaves and 

 whispering of voices in that great family of nature, until the 

 mind was wrought up to the most intense anxiety to- decide 

 what might be the laugh of a servant in the hall, or what 

 the tread of the lordly host coming to his feast. It needed 

 quick senses, or signs for life and death would be neglected ; 

 it needed a cool brain, or the strong and rapidly changing 

 emotions that racked the mind and stilled the heart, would 

 make one mad. At about eight in the evening, while a few 

 slant rays of the moon came athwart the leaves, I heard the 

 sharp crack of a stick in the distance . 



There was no doubt in regard to this, nothing but the 

 weight of a lion could have made that noise. 



In a little while after a hollow, guttural roar grated on my 

 ear, and then terminated in a full blast that made the dark- 

 ness vibrate under the close thicket. Presently I could hear 

 his slow heavy steps, as the animal walked leisurely along 

 according to his custom when quitting his lair. 



I waited with my elbow on my knee, and my rifle to my 

 shoulder, until he should appear. 



I did not see him until he was at the side of the carcass of 

 the bull, slowly licking it with his huge tongue, and keeping 

 his eyes fixed on me. I aimed for his forehead, as well as I 

 could in the obscurity, and fired. The lion fell to the earth, 

 and then with a roar he reared up on his hind legs like a 

 horse. 



I was on my feet at the same instant, and taking a step in 

 advance, put my rifle to his head, and fired the second 

 barrel. 



This time he fell heavily without attempting to rise. I 

 IS* 



