HOW ROSTAIN BEARDED THE LION. 35*7 



without finding him, or any signs of his body. At last I saw 

 the vultures sailing aloft in the dim air, slowly circling over 

 the woods. Gradually they narrowed the orbit of their 

 flight, and sank down lower, and lower, to a particular part 

 of the jungle. They told the tidings clearer than words, the 

 the wounded lion was dead. 



The hunter's mission was now accomplished, I left to the 

 Arabs the task of finding the body, and returned home. 



The two Arabs who were hurt, recovered from their 

 wounds, thanks to their thick burnous and the weakly con- 

 dition of the lion, but Rostain only came out after eight 

 months' siege in the hospital, and a season passed at the 

 springs of Amam-Scontin, and when he appeared again among 

 his fellows, he w r ore a wooden leg that he sometimes pointed 

 at to prove bow he had bearded the lion of Mejez-Amar. 



