He moved off and the others followed, but they were still some yards
from the fountain, when they were startled by a low deep growl, which
came apparently from the other side of the rock.

The boys instantly unslung their rifles. "That's the growl of a lion,"
said Lavie. "He is couching by the spring, I expect. It won't do to
approach him from the front."

"Hadn't one of us better go round to the clump of trees yonder?" said
Frank. "We can get there under cover, and there will be a good sight of
him from thence."

"I was just going to suggest it," said Lavie. "And another can climb to
the top of the cliff here. It seems quite perpendicular by the spring,
and if so it will be fifteen or twenty feet over the lion's head. I'll
undertake that, if you like, and Frank can cross over to the clump. The
other two had better mount this tree. If the brute springs out,
there'll be a chance of a good shot at him from this place."

Lavie and Frank accordingly proceeded to put their designs into
execution. Ernest and Nick watched them, until Wilmore was hidden in
the wood, and Lavie half up the rock, when suddenly there came a shout
of alarm and surprise. At the same moment their weapons were torn from
their grasp, and they found themselves in the clutches of Omatoko and
half a dozen others.

They were unable to make any resistance; the suddenness of the surprise,
and the overwhelming numbers of the Hottentots rendering it impossible.
They were soon bound with leather thongs, and hurried off to the
fountain, where they encountered Lavie and Frank in the same plight as
themselves.

"How like lion?" asked Omatoko, jeeringly. "Omatoko lion. He roar
well. White boys go catch lion, get caught themselves!"

"I wish I had known it was you," muttered Nick. "I'd have put a leaden
bullet through your carcass as sure as my name's Gilbert! Well,
blackie, what next? Are you going to skin and eat us, now you've got
us, or what?"

"White boy go back Umboo," said the Hottentot. "Umboo do as he please."

"And what pleases him won't please us, I guess," muttered Gilbert.
"Well, there's no help for it. We must grin and bear it, as the saying
is. You may as well untie these thongs, any way. You may see for
yourself that we can't possibly escape."

"Omatoko no untie till get back to kraal--then untie quick."

He chuckled as he spoke. There was some sinister meaning in his words,
which the prisoners could not fathom, bu