Cleopatra, being an account of the fall and vengeance of Harmachis, the royal Egyptian, as set forth by his own hand . 1 Shoot with the bow, I cried, shoot swiftly ere hespring! But courage had left the breast of the boaster, his jawdropped down and his fingers unloosed their hold so that thebow fell from them ; then, with a loud cry he turned and fledbehind me, leaving the lion in my path. But while I stoodwaiting my doom, for though I was sore afraid I would notfly, the lion crouched himself, and, turning not aside, with onegreat bound swept over me, touching me not. He lit, andagain he boun
Cleopatra, being an account of the fall and vengeance of Harmachis, the royal Egyptian, as set forth by his own hand . 1 Shoot with the bow, I cried, shoot swiftly ere hespring! But courage had left the breast of the boaster, his jawdropped down and his fingers unloosed their hold so that thebow fell from them ; then, with a loud cry he turned and fledbehind me, leaving the lion in my path. But while I stoodwaiting my doom, for though I was sore afraid I would notfly, the lion crouched himself, and, turning not aside, with onegreat bound swept over me, touching me not. He lit, andagain he bounded full on the boasters back, striking him sucha blow with his great paw that his head was crushed as anegg thrown against a stone. He fell down dead, and the lionstood and roared over him. Then I was mad with horror, knowing what I did, I grasped my spear and with ashout I charged. As I charged the lion lifted himself up onhis hinder legs, to greet me, bo that his head stood up aboveme. He smote at me with his paw ; but with all my strengthI drove the broad spear into his throat, and, shrinking from. *Tv/i;; he leapt thu3, horrible to see. CLEOPATRA 25 the agony of the steel, his blow fell short and did no more thanrip my skin. Back he fell, the great spear far in his throat;then rising, he roared in pain and leapt twice the height of aman straight into the air, smiting at the spear with his fore-paws. Twice he leapt thus, horrible to see, and twice he fellupon his back. Then his strength spent itself with Iris rush-ing blood, and, groaning like a bull, he died; while I, beingbut a lad, stood and trembled with fear now that all cause offear had passed. But as I stood and gazed at the dead body of him who hadtaunted me, and at the carcass of the lion, a woman camerunning towards me, even the same old wife, Atoua, who,though I knew it not as yet, had offered up her flesh andblood that I might be saved alive. For she had been gather-ing simples, in which she had great
Size: 1356px × 1842px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1894
