Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-11-11
AN ARAB LION HUNT.
Compact Made BY an Imperilled Chieftsin
With the King of Beasts.


himself in Algeria, where he studied
the Arab character very closely, re.
lates in his memoirs the fo lowing
curious story of lion hunt. It H.
lustriates the Arab respect for the
lions intelligence, and also his belief
in the direct Intervention of an
averting power in the affairs of life.
The story is in the wo:ds of El-Arbi,
an Arab chief.
Many Of our cattle had been stolen
by lion. 1t was necessary to kill
him. We knew that his lair was in
a certain thicket of cork oaks; and
there the tribe went to des troy the
ravager of our herds
We left our women on high rock
near Dy, and all the men Of the tribe
divided into two ranks, approached
the thicket, our guns cooked and
at our shoulders, not doubling but
we should be able to kill the lion at
the first fire, upon his issuing from
the ticket.
Urged on by the cries OF our wo-
J men, we marched upon the thicket,
and paused just before it. Then I
called out in loud voice: 80 de-
vourer Of cattle, come out of your
lair! Come out into the sight Of
men! Your day Of reckoning is
he-ew
But the lion made no answer.
Sometimes it is so, my lord; you have
to repeat the Invitation.
| EIno MT ho door - T oo11ol IN fho
lien. eff you are man, come out,
l say!,"
To give force to my words, l threw
a stone into the thicket; and so did
several of my companions.
Instantly we heard a roar as Of
thunder, and the lion was upon US
like stroke of lightning. We fred,
but the lion did not appear to hear
or feel the shots. He sprang, un-
harmed, straight upon three Of our
men, and bore them down to the
ground beneath him; they were Ben
Meftab, Ben-Smail, and my uncle
Rabah, who was at the bottom of the
heap
The rest OF our men turned to fly,
and / was with them; but from the
rock l heard the cry of my cousin
Aichia, to whom was betrothed:
20 El-Arb! Save my father! Save
him, or else 1 will never look at you
again!"
1 turned back upon the lion, re-
solved to give my life for Aloha if
need be. had charge in my gun,
but approached closely, intending
not to fire until I should be sure /
should not hit either of the three
men whom the beast had beneath his
teeth and claws.
But at the moment when, three
yards away, was taking aim at his
head, the lion left his prey and
leaped upon me and knocked my gun
out of my hands. Thus disarmed I
ran; but the lion was close behind
me, and would surely leap upon my
back and crush me to the earth.
Close by there was a large tree
which had been felled. Its branches
were still upon it. Just before the
lion would have struck me down, ]
crawled beneath the trunk of this
tree, and the lion fell upon that in.
stead of me, tearing its bark with
his teeth and claws.
Then I heard a great wall 20 up
from my relatives and from Aloha,
who regarded me as dead already: for
how should L escape the lion now?
He was searching under the trunk
Of the tree with his terrible paws ]
felt them touch me, and I felt, too,
his hot and fetid breath. HeIroared
so terribly that the air seemed full OF
thunder, and then paused, his fore.
feet on the ground on one side of the
tree trunk, his hind feet on the
other.
What should I do! There is but
one thing to do in such a situation
TO invoke the aid of the Prophet /
did so, and he putan inspiration into
my mind.
You have heard, it may be, that a
lion can understand the words of a
man if they are spoken with certain
tenderness of tone. spoke thus to
the Lion.
20, Sultan of beasts, you are the
strong est and bravest Of beings; be
;-lso generous to your vanquished en-
envy! If you will let me live. l call
Allah to witness that I will never
again attack you, nor any one of your
race!"
The lion, as if he had understood
and accepted the compact, roared
oace more, and then got of the tree
and walked slowly away to the forest,
casting one look back at me.
was overjoyed, but did not get
out from under the tree as long as
the animal was in sight. When he
had disappeared in the wood ! ran
out, and found that Ben Meftab was
dead, with his head quite crushed,
and Ben-Smail was also dying, with
many wounds; but my uncle Rabah |
had received but few slight hurts,
though the crushing weight caused |
him to faint
And since that time / have kept |
my word with the lion. The beast |
may take the cattle and the sheep |
but ones promise is given to be kept; |
/ shall not harm him. Nor is there |
done in this world save by
the hand of Allah. All other things |