ROBINSON ~ RUSOR.

Hes a dreadful monster on the side of that hillock, fast asleep.”
I looked where he pointed, and saw a dreadful monster in-
deed, for it was a terrible great lion that lay on the side of the
shore, under the shade of a piece of the hill that hung as it
were alittle over him. “ Xury,” says I, “ you shall go on shore
and kill him.” Xury looked ‘frighted, and said, “Me kill! he
eat me at one mouth ;” one mouthful he meant, However, I
said no more to the boy, but bade him lie still, and I tcok our
biggest gun, which was almost musket bore, and loaded it with
a good charge of powder, and with two slugs, and laid it down ;
then I loaded another gun with two bullets: and the third (for
we had three pieces) I loaded with five smaller bullets, I took
the best aim I could with the first piece to have shot him in
the head, but he lay so with his leg raised a little above his nose
that the slugs hit his leg about the knee, and broke the bone.
He started up, growling at first, but finding his leg broken, fell
down again; and then got up upon three legs, and gave the
most hideous roar that ever I heard. I was a little surprised
that I had not hit him on the head; however, ! took up the second
piece immediately, and, though he began to move off, fired
again, and shot him in the head, and had the pleasure to see
him drop and make but little noise, but lie struggling for life.
Then Xury took heart, and would have me let him go onshore.
“Well, go,” said I: so the boy jumped into the water, and tak-
ing a little gun in one hand, swam to shore with the other
hand, and coming close to the creature, put the muzzle of the
piece to his ear, and shot him in the head again, which de-
spatched him quite.

This was game indeed to us, but this was no food ; and [I
was very sorry to lose three charges of powder and shot upon
a creature that was good for nothing to us. However, Xury
said he would have some of him 3 so he comes on board, and
asked me to give him the hatchet. “For what, Xury ?” said
I. “Me cut off his head,” said he. However, Xury could
not cut off his head, but he cut off a foot, and brought it with
him, and it was a monstrous great one.

I bethought myself, however, that perhaps the skin of him
might, one way or other, be of some value to us ;and I re-
solved to take off his skin if I could. So Xury and IJ went to
work with him ; but Xury was much the better workman at it,
for I knew very ill how todo it. Indeed, it took us both up
the whole day, but at last we got off the hide, and spreading it
on the top of our cabin, the sun effectually dried it in two days’
uamie, and it afterwards served me to lie upon.