Hark, their quick tramp! First six, and then three, galloping with
ungodly glee. And a marten-cat came rushing down from the woods; but
the jackals, fierce in their number, drove her away, and there she stood
without the circle, panting, beautiful, and baffled, with her white
teeth and glossy skin, and sparkling eyes of rabid rage.[7]
Suddenly as one of the half-gorged jackals retired from the main corpse,
dragging along a stray member by some still palpitating nerves, the
marten-cat made a spring at her enemy, carried off his prey, and rushed
into the woods.
Her wild scream of triumph woke a lion from his lair. His mighty form,
black as ebony, moved on a distant eminence, his tail flowed like a
serpent. He roared, and the jackals trembled, and immediately ceased
from their banquet, turning their heads in the direction of their
sovereign's voice. He advanced; he stalked towards them. They retired;
he bent his head, examined the carcass with condescending curiosity,
and instantly quitted it with royal disdain. The jackals again collected
around their garbage. The lion advanced to the fountain to drink. He
beheld a man. His mane rose, his tail was wildly agitated, he bent over
the sleeping Prince, he uttered an awful roar, which awoke Alroy.
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