But now hear of another man, equally admirable: Belittas, a cousin of this Amizokes. When
he saw his friend Basthes dragged from his horse
by a lion-they happened to be hunting together
—and that the lion had already clutched him and
clung to his throat tearing him with his claws, he
leaped down from his own horse, fell upon the
beast from behind, and dragged him over, diverting his rage to himself. He passed his fingers
between the animal's teeth, and tried his best to
drag Basthes out of his jaws until the lion let


 


him go, half dead already, and, turning upon Belittas, grappled with him and slew him too. But
even as he was dying he found time to strike the
lion in the breast with his sword, so that they all
died together, and we buried them, digging two
graves near together, one for the friends and one
opposite for the lion.