The Horse Several Times Snorted Loudly, And
Stared Fixedly At The Terrible Face Before Him; But As I
Constantly Patted And Coaxed Him, He Did Not Refuse To Advance.
I Checked Him When Within About Six Yards From The Lion.
This
would have made a magnificent picture, as the horse, with
astounding courage, faced the lion at bay; both animals kept
their eyes fixed upon each other, the one beaming with rage, the
other with cool determination.
This was enough--I dropped the
reins upon his neck; it was a signal that Tetel perfectly
understood, and he stood firm as a rock; for he knew that I was
about to fire. I took aim at the head of the glorious but
distressed lion, and a bullet from the little Fletcher dropped
him dead. Tetel never flinched at a shot. I now dismounted, and
having patted and coaxed the horse, I led him up to the body of
the lion, which I also patted, and then gave my hand to the horse
to smell. He snorted once or twice, and as I released my hold of
the reins, and left him entirely free, he slowly lowered his
head, and sniffed the mane of the dead lion: he then turned a few
paces upon one side, and commenced eating the withered grass
beneath the nabbuk bushes. My Arabs were perfectly delighted with
this extraordinary instance of courage exhibited by the horse. I
had known that the beast was disabled, but Tetel had advanced
boldly towards the angry jaws of a lion that appeared about to
spring.
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