368 THE LION KILLER. 



shaking their burnous ; this was the signal that they had found 

 a lion. 



Seeing a native keeping watch at a little distance from the 

 fire on the ridge of the hill, I directed my steps to him, and 

 as I followed the direction of his hand, that he silently pointed 

 to the earth, I saw the fresh tracks of three lions. 



It is said, that sin once acknowledged is half pardoned. 



If so, 'tis fortunate for me, for at that moment I was proud 

 when I saw in the snow, on the one side, the trail of three 

 lions, and on the other forty men of the country armed to the 

 teeth. And I was pleased when I overlooked the assemblage 

 not to find one among the multitude dressed in any manner 

 like myself. There was nothing so neat as the spahi uniform 

 I wore, or the poniard that glittered at my belt, my only defence 

 in the hand to hand battle that was always likely to occur. 



The Arab who had at first pointed out to me the tracks, 

 had followed me in silence as I traced their course. In turn- 

 ing my head I noticed on his countenance a mocking air 

 that seemed to say, " There are three, how do you like that 

 my fine fellow ?" 



"They are young," I said, "I wish they had been old 

 ones." 



He made a wry face, and went back to tell the party what 

 I had said. Having reached a plateau, I discovered a resting 

 place that the lions had quitted only a short time, and then 

 they appeared to have entered a copse near by, that seemed 

 a very suitable place in which they might lay concealed. 



I ordered the two tribes to follow the crest of the rocks 

 that formed a sort of rampart to the Zerazer country, as far 

 as the last rock that overlooked the plain. Having reached 

 the northern point, they were to sweep the two slopes of the 

 hills, the tribe of Ouled Sassi, the better hunters, the western 

 slope, where I supposed the lions were concealed, and the 

 Ouled-Achour, the eastern slope. Each tribe was to detail 



