DOUBLE SHOT AMONG THE LIONS OF ZERAZER. 369 



two men to follow the ridges, to regulate the progress of the 

 hunt, and some sentinels to communicate with me, and the 

 whole of the force was to march towards the south, making 

 a great noise, but without firing a gun. -In case the lions 

 should show themselves, the cries were to cease, and the 

 burnous of the videttes to be waved. 



Having regulated the operations of the hunters, I took my 

 seat on a rock on the plateau, the numerous tracks of lions 

 beneath the thin snow making me believe that this was their 

 customary path. Having placed my two followers on a rock 

 where they could see everything without being exposed to 

 danger, I placed my two rifles by my side and patiently 

 awaited the result. 



Soon the northerly wind bore to my ears a long hurrah from 

 the ridge of the hills, and fixed my attention on the sentinels 

 posted on the different eminences within sight. Then came 

 the cry, " There he goes, there he goes," repeated from lip to 

 lip, now faint, and now clear, so that there was no mistake, 

 the lion was coming. 



I waited for about an hour, listening for some other call or 

 sign to know what was passing, when a gazel appeared, on 

 the ridge of the little plateau I was guarding. She looked 

 over her shoulder, and then dashed down, and passing within 

 ten feet of the place where I stood without noticing me, was 

 immediately lost to sight. I looked the way she came to see 

 the meaning of her flight, and heard the rolling of stones and 

 heavy steps on the other side of the ridge, and at once 

 recognized the step of a lion that had been separated from 

 his companions, and was coming directly towards me. I was 

 concealed behind a little bush by the same mountain path 

 the gazel had followed, and I expected he would come out 

 close by me. While waiting with my gun to my shoulder 

 for his appearance, a loud scream came to me from behind, 

 and turning round, I saw the lion had passed me out of sight 



10* 



