of black velvet,
trimmed with silver braid, and, as he looked around upon the audience
with a grave but gentle expression, and went through with the Arabian
salutation, which was to bear his right hand to his heart, mouth and
forehead successively, there was perfect silence, so charmed were the
people with his beauty and dignity.

Then an interpreter cried:

"The Christian will show you how, with his club, he killed a lion in
the country of Damascus!"

Immediately following this came another flourish of trumpets and a
striking of cymbals, as if to announce the entrance of the lion.
Quickly the Sicilian sprang behind one of the three palms, whence to
watch his enemy. With an attentive and resolute eye, leaning his body
first to the right, and then to the left, of the tree, he kept his gaze
on the terrible beast, following all its movements with the graceful
motions of his own body, so naturally and suitably as to captivate the
attention of the spectators.

"The lion surely is there!" they whispered. "_We_ do not see him, but
_he_ sees him! How he watches his least motion! How resolute he is! He
will not allow himself to be surprised----"

Suddenly the Sicilian leaps; with a bound he has crossed from one
palm-tree to another, and, with a second spring, has climbed half-way
up the tree, still holding his massive club in one hand. One
understands by his movements that the lion has followed him, and,
crouched and angry, stops at the foot of the tree. The Sicilian,
leaning over, notes the slightest change of posture; then, like a flash
of light, he leaps to the ground behind the trunk of the tree; the
terrible club makes a whistling sound as it swings through the air, and
the lion falls to the ground.

The scene was so well played that the wildest applause came from all
parts of the audience.

Then the interpreter came in, and, throwing at the feet of the Hercules
a magnificent lion's skin, cried:

"Behold the skin of the lion that the Christian killed in the country
of Damascus."

The fame of the Sicilian reached the ears of the Bey of Tunis. But the
royal dignity of the Bey, the reigning prince of that country, would
not allow him to be present at exhibitions given to the common people.
Finally, however, having heard so much about the handsome and strong
Sicilian, he became curious to see him, and said:

"If this Christian has killed one lion with a club, he can kill
another. Tell him that if he will knock do