358 THE LION KILLER. 



CHAPTER XXVH. 



AND MY LION-HUNTING BRIGADE. 



My health already undermined by the emotions and priva- 

 tions of my venturesome life, was still more broken by the 

 sad disasters at this last hunt, so I asked for, and obtained, a 

 leave of absence for France. 



After a month had been passed in the arms of my family, 

 that was leading its round of happy retirement in a country 

 village, I came on to Paris. 



I have recounted my reception by my friends at Paris in a 

 former part of this work, when tracing the history of Hubert. 

 And I cannot again recur to that period without recalling to 

 my mind the many warm congratulations that came to me 

 from friends I had never before met, and that were accom- 

 panied by so many marks of a profound regard. In making 

 the acquaintance of so much that was artificial at Paris, I 

 thought the more highly of those spirits that could live on in 

 the hollow and fictitious life of the capital, and still have 

 hearts unspoiled and uncorroded by the soft pleasures and 

 corruptions of the city. 



I availed myself of my present sojourn in Paris, to urge on 

 a measure, the character of which I will briefly delineate. 



I have before spoken in these pages of the losses that are 

 sustained by the Arabs of Algeria from the ravages of the 

 lion, and I had felt so sincerely for the hardships of their 



