348 THE LION KILLER. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



SHOWING HOW MY COMRADE ROSTAIN BEARDED THE LION 

 OF MEJEZ-AMAR. 



Towards the latter part of tlie month of December, a 

 company of the foreign legion was sent to the camp of 

 Mejez-Amar, a place about three leagues from Guelma, and 

 in a few days, I heard from this out-post, that there was a 

 lion that came every evening to the foot of the walls, to sere- 

 nade the troops, and made night hideous with his music. 



I set out immediately for the camp, taking with me a 

 French spahi, named Rostain, who had been for a long time 

 desirous of a lion hunt, and wanting, as he said, to take hold 

 of a lion's beard. Several days passed by in idleness at the 

 camp, while we waited to see or hear something of the lion 

 that had so suddenly disappeared. 



One evening we were sitting around the fire, quietly smok- 

 ing our pipes, the Sheik Mustapha, Captain La Bedoyere, 

 myself and some others. It was about ten o'clock, on a 

 moonlight evening, when the walls of the building suddenly 

 rattled under the roar of the lion, that sounded just outside 

 the gates. 



I snatched up my gun, that was standing by my bed, and 

 hurried out, calling to the captain to keep Rostain from fol- 

 lowing me. I had scarcely got clear of the camp, when I 

 heard the lion roaring a^ain on the other side of the brook 

 that ran by the side of the fort. I hastened in the direction 



