Those who have visited a menagerie, and have seen a lion within the limits of a narrow iron cage, can form no idea of the majesty of the brute when roaming about freely on his native soil.

The voice of the lion is loud and strong. It is likely to strike terror to the bravest heart.

"It consists," says a well-known writer, "at times of a low, deep moaning, repeated five or six times, and ending in scarcely audible sighs; at other times, the forest is startled with loud, deep-toned, solemn roars, increasing in loudness to the third or fourth, and then dying away in sounds like distant thunder."

Directions for Reading.-This lesson should be read a little more slowly than conversation. When we wish to describe anything, we must give time for those who listen to us to get the meaning of what we say.

Do not run the words together when reading. (See Directions for Reading, page 42.)

Example." There is, in the appearance of the lion, something both noble and imposing."

Language Lesson.-Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the following words: meeting, require, Europe, idea, terror, measures, unlucky, narrow, bolder.

Air of majesty means the noble appearance supposed to belong to kings.

LESSON X.

är ti fï' çial, not real; made by human skill.

ex ĕr' tion, great effort; attempt. de stroyed', killed; put an end to. eleansed, cleaned; freed from dirt.

sit u a' tion, position.

fā'mòùs, much talked of: well known.

frequently, often.

În'çi dent, adventure; event.
nar rāť ed, told.

hûrled, thrown with force.
stū'por, sleepy feeling.

ADVENTURE WITH A LION.

The dangers of lion hunting may be understood from the following incident, narrated by Livingstone, the famous African traveler:

"The villagers among whom I was staying were much troubled by lions, which leaped into their cattle pens and destroyed their cows.

"As I knew well that, if one of a number of lions is killed, the others frequently take the hint and leave that part of the country, I gave the villagers advice to that end, and, to encourage them, offered to lead the hunt.

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"The lions were found hiding among the rocks, on a hill covered with trees and about a quarter of a mile in length.

The men

circled the hill, and slowly edged in closer and closer, so that the lions might be completely surrounded.

"Presently one of the natives spied a lion sitting on a piece of rock, and fired at him, the ball missing the beast and striking the rock.

“The lion turned, bit like a dog at the spot where the bullet had struck, and then bounded off to the shelter of the brushwood.

"Soon I saw another lion in much the same situation as the former, and, being not more than thirty yards from it, let fly with both barrels.

"As the lion was still or its legs, I hastened to reload my gun; but hearing a sudden and frightful cry from the natives, I looked up and and saw the wounded lion springing upon me.

"I was

caught by the shoulder and hurled to the ground. Growling terribly in my ear, the lion shook me as a dog does a rat.

"The shock produced a stupor, similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of a cat.

"The lion then leaped upon one of the natives who had tried to shoot at him, and

then sprang at the neck of a second native who, armed with a spear, was rushing to the rescue.

"The exertion was too much for the wounded beast, and so, with so, with his claws bedded in the spearman's shoulder, he rolled over and died.

"I had escaped, but with a shoulder so broken as to need an artificial joint, and with eleven teeth wounds in my arm.

"These wounds were less severe than they would have been, had not a heavy jacket which I had on, cleansed the teeth of the lion in their passage. As it was, they were soon cured and gave me no trouble afterward."

Directions for Reading.-Read this lesson in a full and clear conversational tone of voice.

Those parts of the lesson to which we wish to call attention, should be read slowly.

Example.-"The men edged in closer and closer, so that the lions might be completely surrounded."

Should the slow and clear reading be kept up throughout pages 51 and 52, or should those pages be read more rapidly?

Language Lesson.-Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the following words: Livingstone, bullet, growling, jacket, offered, advice, severe.

Edged in closer and closer means went slowly nearer and nearer. Let fly with both barrels means fired both barrels of his gun at

the same time.

Still on its legs means not so badly wounded but that it was able to stand up.

Tell the story in your own words.