Show from me life illustrated ALL ABOUT LIONS concluded but what is the result the arabs assess the tribe to pay the fine and burn as before AT gerard remarks at great length his first encounter with a lion long had he ranged ranged the forest in search and many a night had d vainly watched by the paths that led from the lions lair to he be cattle fold happily for the arabs there ar arb are not dot many lion lions in the courie cours e of ten years hunting HI gerard only saw twenty five ana liis his first lion was unusually long in in making hs appearance pe arance the Arabs arais Ar alsand rand fand particularly the arab women made no secret of their contempt for the christian dog who supposed that with his tile single arm lie could lay low the terrific animal which often had kept at bay the hunters of a whole tribe hear HI gerard narrate the conclusion of the long adventure already night drew the curtains of the earth distant objects disappeared and nearer neam ones assumed a dusky line while the shadows blackened in the forests under the tile cork trees I 1 knew that there was no moon that night and yet each minute shortened the twilight and nothing announced n the coming of the lion unless perchance it might be the absence of tile tiie wild boar that were usually rooting in the forest glades I 1 can hardly tell the anguish and anxiety that tortured my mind I 1 counted and recounted the days that had passed since I 1 left the camp and I 1 came to the conclusion that I 1 must go back on tile the morrow and this time with no hope of ever trying tle chase degain my companions harassed by dangers an and d worn out with fatigues were anxious to avoid passing the night in beating tile tiie mountain p path its andrad risen from the turf where they were stretched with the intention of leaving bon aziz pointed to the tile stars that were already burning brightly in tile the sky and said it is too late to meet him here he be has already left the woods for the tile plains by som eother eother path I 1 could not bear to 1 lave ave though I 1 saw my companions shoulder their guns and start you can go I 1 said 1 I will follow you by and aud by 9 they had hardly taken ten ste steps when nh r n tile the heavy roar of the lion sounded jn Is the e ravine ravi ne below I 1 was so wild with dell deli delight glit that not thinking of the condition of my gun I 1 sprang into the woods to run strai straight elit to the lion followed by my two comrades when the sound round ceased I 1 paused to wait bou aziz and bellou ambark were close on my heels pale as two spirits and gesticulating to each ther uther that I 1 had agnue mad in a few iti III moments 0 mr re the lion roared again about a hundred paces distant when I 1 rushed forward inthe direction of the sound with the llie impetuosity of a wild boar instead of the prudence of a hunter li unter when the roar ceased I 1 made another halt in a small opening where I 1 was rejoined by my two companions the tile dog that until then did not seem to understand what was required of him threw up liis his nose dose in in the air and with his bristles raised and his tail low commenced taking a scent that he be followed into the woods in a little while after he came running back all doubled up with fear and crouched himself directly between my legs in a moment more I 1 heard heavy steps seeps on the leaves that carpeted the woods and the rubbing of a large body against the trees that bounded the clearing I 1 knew it ws the tile lion that had risen from ii liis ilis is lair and was coming right to where we stood bou aziz and the spahl stood with their guns to their shoulders we biting tiie the coming struggle with firm hearts baarts I 1 motioned them to a mastic tree a few steps behind me enjoining rug lug them with my candio hand to remain there I 1 these brave fellows were deserving of the hest best honor for it in spite of or their mortal fear they would not leave me alone you may call this kind of courage by wha what name you please pleases but I 1 consider con slier siJer it one of the strongest tests of a mans mind to 0 o remain a quiet spectator of a doubtful combat when his own life depends upon the issue the lion slowly approached and I 1 could me measure a with my senses the distance that separated us now I 1 heard hla hia steps now liis his rustling against the tile trees and now liis his heavy and regular breathing I 1 stepped one or two paces farther forward toward the edge of the opening where he was to come out to have as close a shot as possible I 1 could could still hear his bis steps at thirty paces distant then at twenty then at fifteen and yet I 1 was all the while afraid lest ile lie might turn back or in some manner avoid me or that my illy sua sun zun sva might miss gire fire lehat if lie should turn aside what if he lie should riot not come out of the woods with every new found my heart beat bent in heavy throbs with tiie tile intoxication of hope now eil ell the ilfe life in rny my body rushed through my veins then thil again my very tery life was stilled by the he emotion tile tine lion after a momentary pause that appeared to tome me an all age started again and I 1 could bee see the slender tops of a tree whose base lie he brushed trembling as lie passed almost within foght now no more barrier between me and lum but the thick foliage fi liage of a single tree free I 1 glanced at the sigh sight I 1 on my gun it was barely i isil ae thanks to the lingering in gering day that still hung on tile the horizon the transparency of tie tle air aud and the stars thu tha were already barnin burning 2 above alcove me this tilis was enough for a close shot and I 1 stepped still further ahead thu t I 1 might have bave a bearer nearer maik 1 but still the an imal did not show himself and I 1 began to fear lest he should have the instinct of bodd my frice and end instead of walli walking hig slowly out would cipar clear the mastic tree with a single bound As if to justify rny iny fears he be commenced growl ing at first with two or three lutteral gut gul teral terai sighs and then increasing to the full force of his voice I 1 fellow hunter ft it ls is ia 14 for you I 1 am writing you only can understand and feel my emotions emotion there id in the solemn forest at night standing alone III in front of a thicket from whence are coming roars rom that would drown the roll of the thunder I 1 thought of my single ball to huri hurt ag dinst a foe that has lias the strength of a hu hundred adred meu men in his singe single arm and that kills without mercy when lie he is not killed himself liim seir you can call truly say that if I 1 had counted on my own strength that my heart would then have been troubled my eve dim and my hand trembling I 1 confess that those roars made me feel my own littleness and that without a firm will and an absolute confidence founded upon abat that arm that is ever around us and supports us I 1 would have faltered and failed but instead of that I 1 could hear bear that roar so eur near ear me wit trout a fear and to the last remained the file master of my own heart and the tile director of my actions when I 1 heard the lion making his liis last steps 1 I moved a little to one side his enormous head came out from the dense foliage as he stepped with a commanding grace into the light of lie open glade and then he halted balled half exposed half conceal concealed td while whilo his great eyes dilated on me with a look of astonishment I 1 took my aim between the eye and ear and pres pressed edthe the trigger from that instant until the report of the piece my heart absolutely ceased to beat with the explosion of the gun the smoke shut out ont everything from my view but a long roar of afony stunned my ear and frightened the forest my illy two arabs sprung to their feet feel but without moving from froin their places I 1 waited with one knee on the ground and my poniard in my hand until the llie amoe e that obscured tile the view should dissipate then I 1 saw sav gradually first a paw and hea bea heavens easl what a paw for a living beast then a shoulder then the disheveled mane and at last the whole lion stretched out on his side without sign of lite life beware dont go near him shouted bou aziz as lie threw a large stone at the body it fell on liis his hoad head and bounced oft oin he did not move the lion linn was dead that was the evening of the eighth of july one thousand eight hundred and forty four without giving me time to approach my prize the arabs sprang me ine like two madmen and I 1 was nearly thrown down and crushed by their tran traD transport sport SPOtt of joy and platitude cratl crati tude after me it came the lions turn and they overwhelmed him with recriminations and blows and then tilen from time to time fired their guns in the air to 16 spread the glad tidings to the distant dollars domars after they had leaped and gamboled gam and hur bur over the animal I 1 was permitted to draw near him and examine him at my ease to look at tile size of his teeth and to measure the strength of his limbs and place my hand on his tawny inane I 1 had no difficulty in recognizing him by the arab description of the the tho venerable to give an idea of this lion ilon it will suffice ce rii III me a to say sav say that the united streng lh of us three men was na not sufficient to turn him over as helay belay he lay and that his head was so heavy that I 1 could scarcely lift it from the earth with the tho echoes from the reports of or my companions pan ions guns came come the distant sound of musketry now dow nowhere here and now there as the signal was rung rang froah douar to douar around the tile whole base of the mountain until at last it was a general fu silde siide in about an hour the arabs came in on foot and horseback hurrying forward to touch and insult a foe that had chilled their very souls while willie living after great efforts we at length were enabled to put tile the lion on two mules placed side by side anclin and in this manner manver marched down tile the mountain it was about midnight when we reached the douar dollar and made our trl tri timp al at entry by the light of huge bonfires with the sound of music and or of guus guis and the women chanting the war song bong to the dapping of their hands the body of the fallen king was laid out in state on oil a riat mat between two fires and the whole population of the country marched in front of him in stately procession that they might admire and apostrophize the mighty dead and all night long lung and until the sunrise of the morrow high I 1 revel and a royal wake was held heid in all the tents for tile the lion of el Archi oua early in the tile morning I 1 left for guelma accompanied com compa paulea nied by a thousand heartfelt benedictions the hatred of if the tile women had fallen with the liori and now dow they were more grateful and ardent in their IMe tion than tile llie mail roan and they all desired to enrich me y girts of cattle and slid herd aa A remarkable fact M gerard relates respecting spec et ing ting the body of this enormous beast the T he body 5 he says had been placed in the barrack and that it was skinned and cut in pieces but although the doors were kept careful carefully ay closed yet for several da days s the horses and mules that were accustomed to be led past this building to water absolutely refused to come near it and exhibited the utmost signs of terror t error and the very horsemen mho who were coming into the city from the plain were stopped d short by this invisible non alion hon in the path our hunters second lion was less troublesome to find than the first while lying in wait for it one night n i he heard from the lips of his arab comrade amest a most thrilling lion ilon story tale taie he says will lack to the reader the wild dress and gesture of the speaker the curious circle of listening figures with the women in the back bach background round the white tent of the dou douar arand and the flood of moonlight that bathed all in beauty and lent a douile double double interest to the young arabs words thus ran the story on the desert when mien an arab the owner of a large tent marries a wife lie he bids all the world to the wedding and the guests all go to the brides tent to conduct her to her new home ithe girl is carried in a palanquin and the guests march by her side making the night gay with music and a general fusillade fusi lade but as all men do riot rot herd the same number of cattle so all air marriages are not alike if one is honored by a great preat cortege and gay cavaliers cavaliere cava liers rich in trappings and well earned name caracole racele ca by the side of the future spouse another groom may not have the means even to pay the fiddler that makes the music smail a young warrior of our tribe belonged to this latter class and his last crown had been beere spent to endow his bride his retinue was confined to his near relatives and on the auppl auspicious day dily he be came on foot to the tent of his future father in law like a very peasant I 1 here the brave couple coupler and their friends feasted on mutton and coussou and when tile tiie rera reya repast was done they fired away with powder an and ball taking care to reserve enough to 1 use in case of need on their way home they did not take the precaution to sign the marriage I 1 contract for not one of the party could write even his own name and the evening coming gnp on they separated with mutual good lot COT an fell feil fellowship 01 hp and well wishes for the future the dou douar ar of the husband was only a league and a half away it was a bright moonlight evening and the party numbered nine guns what was there to make them afraid but is it not when the tent is the gayest that trouble draws the curtain and steps in at the door truly the good people were gay and as they returned in merry mood they sang as they frolicked over the sand allez en gens de la a noce allez en chabun chez small walked at the head of the procession with his dark eyed wife and his head was bent and his voice was low whispering soft promises ot 0 the pleasures that were awaiting awa itin them under his tent his friends were behind discreetly loitering at a little distance and from time to time th their air guns awoke the echoes among the distant hills all went merry as a marriage 0 bell but on a sudden the devil who had not been bidden to the wedding presented himself before them in the shape of an enormous lion and crouched down in the very path of the procession what was to be done they were half between the two domars and etwas it was equally dangerous to return as to advance the occasion to win the devotion of his wife forever was too tempting to small to allow at low it to pass the guns were all loaded with ball the bride was placed in the middle middle middie of a hallow square formed by the guests brave men all and the escort marched on led by the b bridegroom fihe room they came to within thirty paces of the lion and yet he had not moved smail ordered the party to halt and then saying sayin to his wife judge if you have married a man or not 2 he walked straight up to the wild beast summoning a him in a loud voice to clear the road at twenty paces the lion raised his monstrous head and prepared to spring smail in spite of the cries of his wife and the entreaties of his friends who counseled a retreat bent one knee to the th e earth took aim and fired the lion wounded by the shot sprang on the husband hurled him to the earth and tore him in pi pieces aces in the twinkling of an eye and then the charged ch armed the group in the middle of which stood the theolide ornde ride let no one fire shouted the father of smail until cantil be he is within guns length 1 but where is til the man who is strona strong enoah enough at heart to await with a firm foot a and steady hand this thunderbolt of hell that is |