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Page 5
"If this Christian has killed one lion with a club, he can kill
another. Tell him that if he will knock down my grand lion with it, I
will give him a thousand ducats"--quite a large sum in those days, a
ducat being about equal to the American dollar.
At this time the Bey had several young lions that ran freely about in
the court-yard or garden of his palace, and in a great pit, entirely
surrounded by a high terrace, on a level with the ground-floor of the
palace, a superb Atlas lion was kept in royal captivity. It was this
lion that the Bey wished the Sicilian to combat. The proposition was
sent to the Sicilian, who accepted it without hesitation, and without
boasting what he would do.
The combat was to take place a week from that time, and the
announcement that the handsome Sicilian was to fight a duel with the
grand lion was spread far and wide, even to the borders of the desert,
producing a profound sensation. Everybody, old and young, great and
small, desired to be present; moreover, the people would be freely
admitted to the garden of the Bey, where they could witness the combat
from the top of the terrace. The duel was to be early in the morning,
before the heat of the day.
During the week that intervened, the Sicilian performed every day in
the show, instead of two days a week, as had been his custom. Never was
he more calm, graceful and fascinating in his performances. The evening
before the eventful day, he repeated in pantomime his victory over the
lion near Damascus, with so much elegance, precision and suppleness as
to elicit round after round of enthusiastic cheers. Of course everybody
who had seen him _play_ killing a lion was wild with curiosity to see
him actually fight with a _real_ lion.
So, on the following morning, in the early dawn, the terrace around the
lion's pit was crowded with people. For three days the grand lion had
been deprived of food in order that he might be the more ferocious and
terrible. His eyes shone like two balls of fire, and he incessantly
lashed his flanks with his tail. At one moment he would madly roar,
and, in the next, rub himself against the wall, vainly trying to find a
chink between the stones in which to insert his claws.
Precisely at the appointed hour, the princely Bey and his court took
the places that had been reserved for them on one side of the terrace.
The Sicilian came a few steps behind, dressed in his costume of velvet
and silver, and holding his club in his hand. With his accustomed easy
and regular step, and a naturally elegant and dignified bearing, he
advanced in front of the royal party and made a low obeisance to the
Bey. The prince made some remark to him, to which he responded with a
fresh salute; then he withdrew, and descended the steps which led to
the lion's pit.
The crowd was silent. At the end of some seconds, the barred gate of
the pit was opened, and gave entrance, not to the brave and powerful
Hercules, but to a poor dog that was thrown toward the ferocious beast
with the intention of still more exciting its ravenous appetite. This
unexpected act of cruelty drew hisses from the spectators, but they
were soon absorbed in watching the behavior of the dog. When the lion
saw the prey that had been thrown to him, he stood motionless for a
moment, ceased to beat his flanks with his tail, growled deeply, and
crouched on the ground, with his paws extended, his neck stretched out,
and his eyes fixed upon the victim.
The dog, on being thrown into the pit, ran at once toward a corner of
the wall, as far as possible from the lion, and, trembling, yet not
overcome by fear, fixed his eyes on the huge beast, watching anxiously,
but intently, his every motion.
With apparent unconcern, the lion creepingly advanced toward the dog,
and then, with a sudden movement, he was upon his feet, and in a second
launched himself into the air! But the dog that same instant bounded in
an opposite direction, so that the lion fell in the corner, while the
dog alighted where the lion had been.
For a moment the lion seemed very much surprised at the loss of his
prey; with the dog, the instinct of self-preservation developed a
coolness that even overcame his terror. The body of the poor animal was
all in a shiver, but his head was firm, his eyes were watchful. Without
losing sight of his enemy, he slowly retreated into the corner behind
him.
Then the lion, scanning his victim from the corners of his eyes, walked
sidewise a few steps, and, turning suddenly, tried again to pounce with
one bound upon the dog; but the latter seemed to anticipate this
movement also, and, in the same second, jumped in the opposite
direction, as before, crossing the lion in the air.
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