DEATH OF A LIONESS. 423 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



THE DEATH OF A LIONESS ILLUSTRATING THE FABLE OF 



THE FLY ON THE COACH WHEEL. 



As the young Arab finished his tale, the first dawnings of 

 light appeared through the folds of the tent. 



I took my rifle, and giving a warm shake of the hand to 

 the hospitable Sheik under whose tent I had passed the 

 night, rode off with Hamida for the summit of Zerazer, where 

 it had been agreed I should wait for the signal of the chase, 

 which was to be a fire showing the place where the game 

 had been tracked to its lair. 



When the sun had reached mid heavens, I saw a white 

 column of smoke stealing up from the distant peak of El- 

 Hanout. A mad gallop of an hour and I dismounted at the 

 foot of the mountain, among the hunters of Ouled-Sassi, who 

 were patiently awaiting my coming. We mounted the. hill 

 together, and after climbing the last hundred yards of perpen- 

 dicular rocks that were piled along the top of the mountain, 

 the tracker who had seen the lioness, and had been keeping 

 watch, pointed me out her den about two hundred yards 

 below me. 



A ravine of about five yards in width ran from where I 

 stood, and was lost in the bushes beneath where it was sup- 

 posed she was still lying hid. Each side of this ravine was 

 bounded by perpendicular rocks, and I knew the animal, in 

 case she was aroused, would either charge the hunters, or else 



