The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-06-28
gan to my shoulder, With the right broke .

gnn to my shoulder, With the right broke .
little twig at my side.
The lioness slept on. broke another a
little louder. Hardly had nv hand reached
the trigger before the lion.ss was on her BEL
~. Her eyes !sz.ly opened, her ears we're
laid back on her head, her lips moved up
and down, and her glance, fearful in its
fixed intensity, wandered around her cham
Der to seek the cause of the underlined sound
that hal caught her senses
Before she saw me sighted her right ear,
and fired.
The smoke Of my gun lay so heavy in the
air that could not see before me. but heard
short stran2ed roar, that sounded like a
Hootl omen. Soon / could see the l;oness
stretched out where she was lying when
fred.
Her sides heavpd, and her feet moved
hack and forward with q quick, convulsive
motion.
saw in an instant that she was only stun
ned, aud would be on her feet in q moment
more.
hastily wound my turban round my arm,
and sprane into tn. cover. Without losing a
moment. placed the muzzle Of nv gun to
her head and fred. The bold spirit that rul-
ed the woods was 4uenched with the report
Of my gun, and her graceful form lay at my
feet corpse.
found my first ball had entered at the
corner Of the eve. and gone out at the top
Of the head, FEATURING the skull without
piercing it.
In an hour after my shots had been heard,
this part Of the forest. hitherto so silent and
sacred, was invaded by a crowd Of Arabs,
Who with thousand wild cries and songs.
PLACED the body of the lioness upon rough
litter, and bore it in state to the douar. There
it was laid out upon mat in the centre OF
tho village, black bull was killed in honor
Of the patron Saint. Sidi-Amar, and the
whole night was devoted to festivities.
It was spectacle worthy Of an arttss pen
Ill. and fantastic and memorable even to an
eve that was used to the daily life of the no.
n,xds.
The fires Of cork and oak. wool flashed
bright. while moving groupes and spreading
trees east dark shadows on the background
Of snow. In the red light the women of the
dOuar went to and fro. as they distributed
the flesh Of the beef and the lioness. BY the
caldron that would have boiled an OK, Alb
dallah, the minstrel. chanted rude songs Of
,alorous deeds. ard the sottened notes Of a
flute came from the women's tent.
Here sat the girls, ba5ling some romance
Of their fancy, there were grouped the men
holding high converse on warlike deeds, and
talking powder and ball. The herds in the
park lowed at the unwonted light, the dogs
came in and out from the shadow to seize a
stray mors..l. and pet gazels shook their
heads, and rung their bells doubtfuIy at the
bon6rrs.
Then. swelling and dying, the war-sons
rose on the air TO the cIapping Of hands, and
the CLEANS of waving steel, and all the peu-
ple-wild phantoms draped in their white
burnous, arose to their feet as will arise one
dav the dead that lie in the valley Of Jehosh-
aphat. The women sound the shrill battle
cry, the men reply with the firing of guns,
which roll away on the hills and come back
in repeated echoes, and then the spectres
sink again to the ground and only the sigh
ing flute breaks the sudden stiffness.
The scene excited my fancy with its beau
". and ny pride with its triumph and can
never forget its kindly memories or the
grateful hearts of the these mountaneers.
When the stars gave place in the sky to
the reddening dawn, the women retired to
their :ents The men gathered around the
tomb Of Sidi- Amar. and with their faces to
Mecca, devoutly listened to their holy seer
40 he recited the morning prayers. Then
one by one the whole tribe came to bid mt
farewell. and / leaped in my saddle and
pricked over the plain towards Guelma, with
4 heart at ease with myself. and full Of emo
ton at the curious life had witnessed.