WHEN THE CAT 's AWAY THE MICE WILL TLAY. 405 



mince meat of him before he could put in a word of expostu- 

 lation. 



In the evenings of the early spring time, there were three 

 men of the same tribe, who watched for game at a spring 

 called Ain-Seid, or the lion's spring. At the dawning of the 

 day, they saw a lion coming down to drink, and he carried 

 in his mouth the body of a beautiful girl. Having reached 

 the water, he deposited his burden on the grass, and com- 

 menced licking oft' the blood that trickled from under her 

 garments down her breast and feet. 



Presently he went away again, leaving the body where he 

 had deposited it, and the men mounted a high rock that 

 overlooked the place, and waited to see if he would return. 



In a half hour the animal came back with the body of a 

 man, that by its convulsive motions still gave signs of life, 

 and he laid him down by the side of the woman. The 

 hunters then fired all together, and the lion fell dead. In a 

 few moments after, the man breathed his last. 



In the month of July, some men of Seguia, of the tribe of 

 Ouled-Mehloul, while on a hunt in the hills, met a lion face 

 to face. They knelt down and waited until the lion charged 

 them, when they all fired at him when he was almost within 

 arm's reach. In spite of six balls the lion sprung on them, 

 wounded two of them severely with his claws, and carried off 

 another in his mouth, shaking him from time to time until 

 he dropped him on the grass dead. 



In July, a lion encountered a man and woman that the 

 beauties of the summer night had enticed out to a place 

 called Foumel-Hamia. The kindly emotions of the hour 

 pleaded in vain with the ruthless bandit, and the next morn- 

 ing the tribe found only the garments of the lovers. 



During the same month, the hunters of the tribe of Ouled 

 Mehloul, found a lioness with two cubs in the mountains of 

 the Zerazer. The principal body of the hunters excited the 



