he stated that
there were no more weapons of the kind in the village.

"Well, she seems to be in pretty fair shape," remarked Burt, squinting
down the barrel of the rifle. "Get some palm oil, Critch. Three bullets
ought to do."

"Don't catch me around when you fire that thing," sniffed his chum
disgustedly. "She's liable to bust. I'll bet she's twenty years old."

"Better'n a spear at that," chuckled Burt, oiling the rifle until it
worked perfectly. "We ain't so badly off, Critch. There, I guess that'll
do. Ready?"

Critch armed himself with one of the spears, and at the head of twenty
picked warriors they left the village. Mbopo led the way to the spoor
already found, and Critch at once ordered the pigmy warriors to follow
it up.

"Let 'em take the chances," he grinned. "They ain't scared now I'm
along. If they find Pongo you can finish him with the gun--unless the
gun finishes you."

"You're sore because you didn't find the gun yourself," retorted Burt.
"Come on, they're quite a ways ahead."

The pigmies had started at once along the spoor of the lion, spreading
out on either side and calling to one another continually. The boys
followed more carefully with Mbopo. The spoor led them through the long
rank grass into the forest, and was easy for the boys to read.

The lion had made only one leap after leaving the zareba. This had taken
him almost across the grassy space. Upon reaching the first thicket he
had crawled along and left a plain blood-marked trail for the hunters to
follow. A hundred yards farther on they heard a shrill yell from ahead,
and hurried on.

Emerging from the thicket, they found the pigmies clustered about a
clump of thorn-bushes. These were almost impenetrable save by the trail
left by the lion. The pigmies reported to Mbopo, who turned to Critch.

"Him Pongo in there," he stated, pointing to the bushes with a grin.
"Mwanzi kill? Vera good!"

Critch hesitated. He glanced at the waiting pigmies, who evidently had
not the slightest intention of robbing him of the honor of going first.

"Come on," he muttered to Burt. "We got to pull the bluff through right
here. Have your gun ready."

Burt nodded. The two boys, their hearts beating fast, advanced to the
edge of the thicket. No sound came from the bushes, and Burt thrust the
first branches aside as he entered. The thorns made sad havoc with their
clothes, but the boys were too anxious to heed this. A moment later Burt
gave a startl