206 
THE LION. 
fold. c Look,’ said he, e there is part of some 
of the mats we tore from the house and burned, 
to frighten him away.’ On asking him how he 
could think of appointing me to sleep in that very 
spot? e Oh!’ he rejoined, c the lion would not 
have the audacity to jump over on you.’ This 
remark produced a laugh from me, in which he 
and his wife joined most heartily; and reminded 
me of a circumstance in his own history, with 
which I was well acquainted, viz., 6 that he him¬ 
self had once been in the jaws of a lion. 
Again, “ Some short time since,” writes Free¬ 
man, “ three men and a boy were sleeping in the 
open air, whilst travelling through the Madoors’ 
country. Two of the men were by themselves ; 
the other man and the boy were also by them¬ 
selves, wrapt up in a blanket. Whilst they were 
asleep, a lion came and walked off with the two 
in the blanket; they effected their escape, left 
the monster in possession of the warm coverlet, 
and stole back to their companions to give the 
alarm. Whilst the man was relating the adven¬ 
ture the lion came and pounced on him, seized 
him by the neck, and killed him. He had just 
time to cry, fi Shoot ! shoot! ’ His companions did 
so, shot the lion in the neck, and destroyed him. 
Other lions were supposed to be in the neighbour¬ 
hood, and the surviving two men and a boy es¬ 
caped as fast as they could. They returned next 
morning to get the body of their companion, and 
inter it; but found that it had been devoured 
during the night, and the very lion that they 
