380 THE LION KILLER. 



up the lion's tracks until I reached a little glade, about in 

 the centre of the woods, as near as I could judge, and having 

 fastened the kid to a sapling, took my seat on a tuft of 

 herbs a few yards off. With the first bleat of the kid the 

 Arabs scampered, and disappeared in the high grass like 

 quails. 



I had been at my post about a quarter of an hour, the kid 

 crying all the while, when a covey of red partridges took 

 wing directly behind me, uttering their customary cry when 

 surprised. I looked around me on every side, but could see 

 nothing to excite their alarm, nevertheless there was some- 

 thing present not revealable to sense, for the kid suddenly 

 had ceased its cries, and its eyes were fixed in terror on mine, 

 and now and then it struggled violently to break its tether. 



I turned again to look if there was any thing in sight, 

 when my eyes caught the eyes of the lion himself, lying at 

 the foot of a juniper tree, about fifteen paces off, examining 

 us through the branches, and making wry faces all the while 

 at the spectacle. 



In the position I sat it was impossible to take aim without 

 turning. I tried to fire from my left shoulder, but finding it 

 too awkward I slowly turned around without rising, and took 

 aim again. 



At the motion the lion raised on his feet and shaking him- 

 self, opened his yawning mouth at me, with the air of asking 

 the question, " What the devil are you doing there V 



I immediately fired down his throat, and he fell motionless 

 to the earth. 



At the report of my gun the Arabs came running up, and 

 fearing lest there might occur some accident if the animal 

 was not entirely dead, I sent another ball through his brain. 

 On examining the prize, we found it was a beautiful beast, 

 black as a bull, and robed in a mane that fell in wavy folds 

 to his feet. I sent him to the camp at Krenchela, and he 



