DOUBLE SHOT AMONG THE LIONS OF ZERAZER. 367 



to the Zmouls that inhabit the country around Mount 

 Zerazer, a place constantly frequented by lions. 



For some days after my arrival, a drizzling rain obscured 

 the mountains, and I remained in my tent occupied with the 

 duties of the government that had brought me from Constan- 

 tine. On the first of February, two fractions of the tribe of 

 Seguia came in to join in the chase that was to take place on 

 the morrow. 



I directed them to detail men enough to hunt the woods 

 through with the early light, and whenever they should find 

 that the lion was marked down, they should give a signal by 

 lighting a fire to serve as a rallying point. The remainder 

 of the day I spent in going over the mountain so as to have 

 a perfect knowledge of the country. I found the hills to be 

 long and precipitous, with the eastern side falling abruptly 

 off, and the western cut up with gullies and copse wood. 



The next day was clear, and the tropical sun as it rose 

 glinted on a broad sheet of snow that had robed the hills on 

 yesterday. At three o'clock in the morning the village was 

 awake for the foray, the simple breakfast had been eaten, 

 and the men of the tribe were scouring their arms, or girding 

 up their loins for the combat. Dogs barked, cattle lowed, 

 the women called, and shout answered to shout, and neigh to 

 neigh as the swarthy riders, one by one swung themselves 

 into the saddle, and the whole party swooped out of the 

 enclosure on the open plain, and sped forward to the 

 mountain. By my side rode Amar-ben-Taieb the Sheik of 

 the Ouled Sassi, and Mohammed-ben-Ghenem the Sheik of 

 the Ouled-Achour, who were each to command their respec- 

 tive tribes for the day, while the whole force was under my 

 general direction. 



We rode for an hour along the base of the hills towards 

 the south, until we saw a column of smoke rising slowly from 

 a rock like a sentinel. As we approached we saw the Arabs 



