e along, Raff, old fellow, catch hold of
this;" and Denis, leaning down from the lowest branch, held out his
handkerchief, which Raff, clearly understanding what he was to do,
caught hold of, and was quickly hauled up. Nothing however would induce
Fangs to follow his example, and at last they were compelled to abandon
the attempt to get him up, he having evidently made up his mind to pass
the night at the foot of the tree--probably that he might enjoy at his
leisure a further meal off the snake. Greedy Fangs, like many human
beings, influenced by sinister motives, he was doomed to suffer severely
for his folly.

They soon selected for themselves and Raff three tolerably secure places
among the forked branches, where they hoped to be able to pass the
night, if not in a very comfortable manner, at all events without the
risk of being pounced upon by a hungry lion.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

IN SEARCH OF WATER.

After the fatigue and anxiety they had gone through, it was not long
before Denis and Percy began to feel excessively drowsy.

"Take care you don't fall off, Percy," said Denis; "or let your gun drop
either. I've fastened mine to my neckerchief, and I'd advise you to do
the same."

"I have jammed myself and my gun between two branches, so that there is
no chance of falling," answered Percy; "but I'll make fast my ostrich
eggs, for I would not lose them on any account, lest we should have to
breakfast off that horrible snake."

"Little chance of that," murmured Denis. "By to-morrow morning there
won't be a scrap of it left."

Denis said this in a very drowsy tone. His eyes were fixed on the fire,
which seemed to him sometimes to flare up with unusual brightness, then
to flit about, then totally to disappear, for the best of reasons, his
eyes were closed. Percy was also just going off, when his ears were
assailed by a hideous uproar of shrieks and howls and barks.

Looking out from his leafy covert, he could see a number of creatures
moving about in the direction of the spot to which the body of the snake
had been dragged. He guessed what they were, and was very thankful that
he and his companion were safe up the tree.

"Do you hear those brutes, Denis?" he asked; but there was no answer.
He could see the place where he supposed his friend lay, but could not
reach him. At first the dreadful idea occurred that he might have
fallen off, and he was about to crawl along the branch to feel for him,
when th