er as they
peal through the forest in quick succession. Though the first sudden
outburst is startling, even appalling, when unexpected, a certain
feeling of admiration quickly succeeds the first fear, at the volume and
the force of it, and at the echoes which it wakes up.

"It is a lion!" said Selim to himself when he had regained his
bewildered senses; "the king of beasts. I have often desired to see
thee and to hear thee, but I may not venture too near thee, as I fear
thy claws and thy cavernous mouth. Halt where thou art until dawn, my
friend, and I will look at thee well, but just now I will remain here.
Ah, that is right; thou comest nearer, but I have a gun, and there is a
bullet in it, O lion, so thou hadst better keep a respectful distance.
The window through which I look at thee is too small for thee to enter;
besides, king of beasts, I need no companion like thee in this small
chamber with me. How my bones would crack under thy strong jaws, and
what a delicious morsel thou wouldst deem me. The _hulwah_ of Muscat [a
species, of sweets made in Muscat, Arabia] were as nothing to it; the
honey of thy native wilds were bitter compared with my flesh, and bones,
and warm blood. Nay, I beseech thee keep thy distance, O lion. If thou
art hungry catch that laughing devil of a hyaena; but me, poor me, thou
wilt surely not harm me!"

But the lion had advanced nearer to the tree; he had also scented a
prey, and while he knew that the prey was contained within the tree, he
was doubtful whether he could obtain the wherewithal to satisfy his
hunger, and this was why he advanced roaring.

Arriving at the foot of the tree he halted, and stood looking up at the
tempting morsel. As if he heard and understood the low-spoken words
which the Arab youth addressed to him, he uttered another terrific roar.
This caused Selim to draw in instinctively and seize his gun, but at
the same instant the lion's form came bounding in at the hole through
which Selim had entered, where he clung tenaciously with his claws, and
endeavoured to drag himself in. Then Selim, with his heart in his mouth
at the dreadful presence, put the muzzle of the gun against the lion's
head and fired, and the monster fell dead outside.

Selim, finding it dangerous to leave his friendly shelter, resolved to
remain where he was until morning, and after he had listened, a long
time at the aperture of the tree, and became satisfied that the lion was
dead, he