And the battle knew no more his sword, In every wind that sighed ; From the searching stars of heaven he shrank; 1 CZÄR (zär, or tzår). The title of the 3 ER MINE. The fur of a small animal emperor of Russia. of the same name, of great value. 2 SA'BRE. A kind of sword, with a 4 BROOK, (brûk). Bear; endure. broad, heavy blade. 5 FOLD'ED. Reserved; shut up; close XXXV. - A LION HUNT. GERARD. [This lesson is taken from the Adventures of Gérard (zhā-rär') the Lion Killer, translated from the French by Charles E. Whitehead. Gérard was an officer in the French army employed in Algeria, in North Africa, which is now a French province. Being a man of courage and an admirable marksman, he succeeded in killing a great number of lions, and thus acquired a high reputution both among his own countrymen and the natives of the country. Lions commit such ravages among their cattle that he who destroys one is considered a great public benefactor. Gérard's adventures have been recently published in Paris, where they have attracted much attention. They are written in a very spirited style, and his daring feats are modestly narrated.] 1. On the 4th of August, 1844, I received an invitation from the inhabitants of Mahouna,* the lion's paradise, which I immediately accepted. On my arrival, about sunset, I found the village surrounded by immense piles of light wood, arranged for the reception of the lion, that paid them nightly calls. I forbade their being kindled, and immediately selected the place I intended to occupy, in order to waylay him that very night, in case he should come as usual to prey on the herds. 2. Having by careful searching found the route by which * Mahou'na is a place in the province of Guelma, in Algeria. the animal usually came, I took my seat directly in his path, in spite of the remonstrances of the Arabs. Finding me fixed in my purpose, they brought me mats and cushions; and a smoking repast was soon placed by the side of the couch that was to serve me for the night. 3. My hosts remained with me till a late hour, telling many tragic stories of the strength and ferocity of the lion. As midnight approached, the party broke up, with many prayers for my success. I remained on the watch with a native corporal' in the French service, named Saadi, whose brother was chief of this country. He was armed with a carbine, and I with a double-barrelled rifle. 4. About one o'clock in the morning, my Arab friend, little accustomed to these night watches, pleaded guilty to being very sleepy, and stretched himself out behind me, where, to do him justice, he slept most soundly. I know many brave men who would not have done as much, while lying in wait for a lion. I had taken the precaution to have all the dogs tied up under the tents, so as to quiet their customary clamor; and now, in the dead silence around me, I could detect the faintest noise or motion. 5. Up to this time the heavens had been serene, and the moon clear; but soon clouds gathered in the west, and came scudding past before a warm, sultry wind; and a little later the sky was all overcast, the moon disappeared, and the thunder rolled round us in heavy peals, announcing a coming tempest. Then the rain fell in torrents, and, drenching my companion, he awoke, and we consulted for a moment about returning. But while we were talking, an Arab called out from the tents, "Beware! the lion will come with the storm." 6. This decided me to remain at my post, and I covered the locks of my gun with the skirts of my coat. Soon the rain ceased; flashes of lightning played round the distant horizon; and the moon, brighter than ever, came in and out from the fleecy clouds over our heads. I took advantage of every one of these brief moments of clear sky to survey the country about me, and to examine every clump of trees or fallen log; and it was in one of these short luminous intervals that all of a sudden I thought I saw the lion. I waited breathless till the moon came out again. Yes, it was he! standing motionless only a few paces from the camp. 7. Accustomed to see fires lighted at every tent, to hear a hundred dogs barking in terror, and to see the men hurling lighted brands at him, he, without doubt, was at a loss to explain the rather suspicious silence that reigned around him. 8. While I was turning slowly round, in order to take better aim, without being seen by the animal, a cloud shut out the moon. I was seated with my left elbow on my knee, my rifle at my shoulder, watching, by turns, the lion, that I only recognized as a confused mass, and the passing cloud, the extent of which I anxiously contemplated. 9. At length it passed by; and the moonlight, dearer to me than the most beautiful sunshine, illumined the scene, and again showed me the lion, still standing in the same place. I saw him the better because he was so much raised above me; and he loomed up proudly magnificent, standing as he was in majestic repose, with his head high in air, and his flowing mane undulating in the wind and falling to his knees. It was a black lion, of noble form and the largest size. As he presented his side to me, I aimed just behind his shoulder, and fired. 10. I heard a fierce roar of mingled pain and rage echoing up the hills with the report of my gun, and then from under the smoke I saw the lion bounding upon me. 11. Saadi, roused the second time that night from his slumbers, sprang to his gun, and was about to fire over my shoulder. With a motion of my arm I pushed aside the barrel of his gun, and when the beast, still roaring furiously, was within three steps of me, I fired my second barrel directly into his breast. 12. Before I could seize my companion's gun, the lion rolled at my feet, bathing them in the blood that gushed in torrents from his throat. He had fallen so near me that I could have touched him from where I stood. 13. In looking for the balls, I found the first one just behind the shoulder, where I had intended it to hit; but the second, that had been fired in haste, and almost at hazard, had given the mortal wound. From this moment I learned that it is not enough to aim correctly in order to kill a lion, and that it is a feat infinitely more serious than I had at first supposed. 14. It was a long while before the Arabs could believe that the lion was really dead, or venture into the presence of the fallen monarch of the forest. But when assured that their dread enemy, from whom they had suffered so much, could no longer harm them, they overwhelmed me with thanks and congratulations. 15. The men, with stately grace, kissed the hem of my garment, or my rifle that lay at my side, saying, "May God strengthen your arm and bless you." 16. The women kissed my hand, saying, "God bless the mother that bore you." The mothers lifted up their children in their arms, that they might touch me and kiss me, saying, "Don't be afraid; he only harms the lion; he is our friend and brother." 17. I can say, with all sincerity, that there were no voices so sweet as those which named my mother's name, that asked me her age, and when I had left her, if I ever heard from her now when far away, if I wanted to see her, and if she were ever coming to their country; and that ended their questions by invoking a thousand blessings on her honored head. 18. The death of the lion had truly been a blessing, since it summoned up to my mind such pleasant remembrances of a far-away home, and of a mother whom I so dearly loved. No sweeter praise could have been bestowed; no greater triumph could have been won. 1 CÖR'PO-RAL. A non-commissioned | 4 HỌ-RĨ'ZỌN. The line where the sky officer, the lowest in rank, in a company of soldiers. 2 CAR'BĪNE. A small gun, in size be tween a pistol and a musket, carried by cavalry. 8 Ō'VER-CAST. Covered with clouds. and earth appear to meet. 5 LÔÔMED UP. Stood up so as to be distinctly seen; appeared larger than reality. 6 UN'DU-LĀT-ING. Flowing; heaving as the waves of the sea move. 1. THE method of taking the whale, as practised by all nations, and for every species, is nearly as follows:- The whale is compelled to come frequently to the surface, for the purpose of breathing. The nearest boat approaches from behind, from which the harpoon' is launched into the huge carcass. This it is almost impossible to disengage, it being provided with two strong barbs. 3 2. If not instantly killed, the whale sinks, and sinks often to a great depth. Exhausted by the immense superincumbent' pressure of the water, he sometimes comes up dead. Frequently he sinks only a short distance; but as soon as he rises, the whalemen endeavor to plunge into him the lance, an instrument of the finest steel, sharpened with the keenness of the surgeon's lancet. 3. Attached to the harpoon is a line, which, as the animal is disposed to sink or dash through the waves, is suffered to run loose around a small post in the stern of the boat; and it often flies with such rapidity that the harpooner is enveloped in smoke, and it frequently becomes |