THE LION. 



6i 



her child. At the same time the weight of his 

 body broke down the tent below, and not content 

 with what he had already done, such was his rage, 

 that he tore to pieces through the canvas every 

 moving creature that gave sign of life. 



The person who told us this story, and who 

 knows the Lion better, and has seen him face to 

 face oftener than any other man, is a French sol- 

 dier, called Julius Gerard, who has been sur- 

 named the Lion-killer; for when he was in the 

 north of Africa with the French army, which has 

 conquered a great part of that country, he made 

 it the business of his life to endeavor to free the 

 Arabs from this dreaded night-visitor. Formerly 

 it had been the custom to dig a deep pit by the 

 way-side, cover it with branches and brushwood, 

 and to lie concealed there, in order to get a shot 

 at the Lion as he passed : or else his footsteps 

 were tracked to his sleeping-place, during the 

 day, and he was surrounded and baited with dogs 

 till he was aroused from his slumbers. This was 

 by far the least dangerous way, because he dis- 

 likes exceedingly the glare of sunshine, probably 

 not seeing very clearly in it ; and, besides, he 

 feels drowsy after his heavy meal and his long 

 walk, and wants very much to be let alone to 

 rest himself. 



Gerard, however, being a very brave man, went 

 out all alone in the moonlight or starlight nights, 

 tracked the Lion's footsteps, and waited for him 

 night after night as patiently as the Lion hini- 

 . self watches for his prey. Then when he heard 

 the heavy footstep and the muttering roar which 

 bespoke his enemy at hand, he placed himself di- 

 rectly in his path, let him come as near as twenty. 



or even twelve paces, looking steadfastly into 

 his glaring, fiery eyes, and then, just as he was 

 going to spring, shot him, if possible, directly 

 through the forehead. It needed very great 

 pourage for any man to do this ; because, if his 

 first and second shot missed the Lion's brain 

 or his heart, there would be no time to fire again, 

 and without any doubt his assailant would be 

 torn to pieces. Gerard killed in this manner 

 more than twenty Lions. 



The Lion rules over the various quadrupeds 

 that dwell in the same districts with himself, 

 meeting with but few that do not acknowledge 

 his authority. There are some, however, that do 

 not fear him, such as the colossal Elephant, the 

 mighty Rhinoceros, or the powerful Buffalo, and 

 these he seldom molests. Still, occasional in- 

 stances have been known of attacks by Lions on 

 the first-named of these great animals. 



One day a traveler, while hunting Antelopes, 

 drew near a place where about a dozen Elephants 

 were quietly feeding, and saw a Lion and Lion- 

 ess rush upon one which was straying a little 

 apart from the rest. The Lion climbed up on 

 the Elephant's hind-quarters, while the Lioness 

 attempted to seize the great animal by the throat. 

 As soon as the Elephant felt the claws of his as- 

 sailants tearing great gashes in his hide, he ut- 

 tered a loud cry and rushed toward a river which 

 was a short distance away, lashing his sides and 

 back furiously meanwhile with his trunk. So vi- 

 olent were his efforts, and so severe the blows he 

 dealt the Lions, tliat they were obliged to give 

 up the attempt upon his life, and to retreat from 

 him before he reached the water. 



