pillar, when he sprang out after him. The boy ran, terribly
frightened; but the lion reached him in five or six leaps, sprang
upon his back and threw him down, and then went back to the pillar
as if quite satisfied with his exploit. Although the boy was not
hurt in the least, it seemed to me like a cruel piece of fun.

The pacha, nevertheless, laughed very heartily, and told us that he
had himself trained the lion to frighten the boys.


Presently the little lion went away, and when we came to look for
him, we found him lying on one of the tables in the kitchen of the
palace, apparently very much interested in watching the cook. The
latter told us that the animal sometimes took small pieces of meat,
but seemed to know that it was not permitted, for he would run away
afterwards in great haste. What I saw of lions during my residence
in Khartoum satisfied me that they are not very difficult to tame,
only, as they belong to the cat family, no dependence can be placed
on their continued good behavior....


Although I was glad to leave that wild town, with its burning
climate, and retrace the long way back to Egypt, across the
Desert and down the Nile, I felt very sorry at being obliged to
take leave forever of all my pets. The little gazelles said, "Wow!
wow!" in answer to my "Good-bye"; the hyenas howled and tried to
bite, just as much as ever; but the dear old lioness I know would
have been sorry if she could have understood that I was going. She
frisked around me, licked my hand, and I took her great tawny head
into my arms, and gave her a kiss. Since then I have never had a