and fell backwards out of the chariot, as even Kings of the world must
do when they have nothing left to stand on. The lioness saw that he
was down and leapt at him, straight over the chariot. As she leapt I
shot at her in the air and pierced her through the loins, paralysing
her, so that although she fell down near the King, she could not come
at him to kill him.

I sprang from my chariot, but before I could reach the lioness hunters
had run up with spears and stabbed her, which was easy as she could
not move.

The King rose from the ground, for he was unharmed, and said in a loud
voice,

"Had not that shaft of mine gone home, I think that the East would
have bowed to another lord to-night."

Now, forgetting that I was speaking to the King of the earth,
forgetting the wager and all besides, I exclaimed,

"Nay, your shaft missed; mine went home," whereon one of the courtiers
cried,

"This Egyptian is a liar, and calls the King one!"

"A liar?" I said astonished. "Look at the arrow and see from whose
quiver it came," and I drew one from my own of the Egyptian make and
marked with my mark.

Then a tumult broke out, all the courtiers and eunuchs talking at