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