104 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



astir to make a big fire and laugh over the fright they 

 had had, and for which there really was good cause ; for 

 when daylight appeared the tracks of a lion were seen 

 about a foot from Emanuel's pillow. Hanging up a 

 quantity of meat under a tree and sleeping with your 

 head close to it, is about as simple a method of putting 

 it into a self-made trap as could well be devised ; and 

 with his present experience it is not likely he will try 

 the experiment again, though probably nothing of the 

 kind would have happened had not our sleepy Arabs 

 allowed the fires to burn out. But if we saw no real 

 lion, we received a visit to-day from his representative 

 amongst elephant-hunters ; for, mounted on a most 

 spirited little Arab, no less a personage than Jali arrived 

 in camp. He is quite looked upon as the chief of the 

 present race of Hamran sword -hunters, and his appear- 

 ance quite justifies this, though living on elephant flesh 

 has made him so fat and large round the waist that his 

 agility must be slightly impaired. It did not seem so, 

 however, as he sprang lightly from his horse, and in a 

 most cordial way shook hands with us, quite as if we 

 were old and long-parted friends. 



He soon let us know who he was, and of his intimate 

 acquaintance with Howagee Baker ; and to prevent there 

 being any doubt of his identity, showed us his left leg, 

 \vhich was shortened by fracture of the thigh-bone in an 

 elephant hunt when in his service. He is a short but 



