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Page 4
THE LION-KILLER.
(_From the French of Duatyeff_.)
BY MARY WAGER FISHER.
People in Tunis, Africa,--at least, some of the older people,--often
talk of the wonderful exploits of a lion-killer who was famous there
forty years ago. The story is this, and is said to be entirely true:
The lion-killer was called "The Sicilian," because his native country
was Sicily; and he was known as "The Christian" among the people in
Tunis, who were mostly Arabs, and, consequently, Mohammedans. He was
also called "Hercules," because of his strength,--that being the name
of a strong demi-god of the ancient Greeks. He was not built like
Hercules, however; he was tall, but beautifully proportioned, and there
was nothing in his form that betrayed his powerful muscles. He
performed prodigies of strength with so much gracefulness and ease as
to astonish all who saw them.
He was a member of a traveling show company that visited Tunis,--very
much as menagerie and circus troupes go about this country now from
town to town. His part of the business was, not simply to do things
that would display his great strength, but also to represent scenes by
pantomime so that they would appear to the audience exactly as if the
real scenes were being performed before their very eyes. In one of
these scenes he showed the people how he had encountered and killed a
lion with a wooden club in the country of Damascus. This is the manner
in which he did it:
After a flourish of trumpets, the Sicilian came upon the stage, which
was arranged to represent a circle, or arena, and had three palm-trees
in the middle. He was handsomely dressed in a costume 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:
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