he
whole tomb tremble! Then it seemed to shake, or rather rumble again.
Then again it rumbled. Then again! Then there was a roar that literally
shook the sand. I heard the sand sift and rattle down like drops of rain
from where it lay in the crevices as I listened to find whether or not
he was moving forward toward the place by which we had ascended. He was
surely moving forward. I felt rather than heard him move. I assert--and
I must content myself for the present with merely asserting--that you
can _feel_ the movements of an animal under such circumstances. And I
assert further that an animal, especially a wild beast, can _feel_ your
movements under almost any circumstances. The undeveloped senses deserve
a book by themselves. But just now, with the largest lion I ever saw
coming straight upon me, is hardly the time or place to write such a
treatise.

Pistol in hand I sprang to the steep and rugged passage. And not a
second too soon. His mighty head was almost on a level with the granite
slab. And he was half crouching for a bound and a spring upward, which
would perhaps land him in our faces. I could see--or did I feel--that
his huge hinder feet were spread wide out and sunken in the sand with
preparation to bend all their force toward bearing him upward in one
mighty bound.

I fired! fired right into his big red mouth, between two hideous pickets
of ugly yellow teeth. He fell back, and then, gathering his ferocious
strength, he bounded up and forward again; this time striking his left
shoulder heavily against a projecting corner of the granite slab.
Fortunately the ascent was slightly curving, so that the distance could
not be made at a single bound without collision, else had we both surely
been destroyed.

Again the supple and comely beast, disdaining to creep or crawl, made a
mighty leap upward. But only to strike the rounding corner of the great
granite slab and fall back as before.

But I knew he would reach us in time! And if ever man did wish for
fitting arms to fight with and defend woman it was I at that time. True,
I had five shots left; but what were they in the face of this furious
king of beasts? I began to fear that they would only serve to enrage
him.

Still, he should have all I had to give. Death is, has been, and will
be. The best we can make of it all is to try and see that we shall not
die ingloriously.

The woman had been by my side all this time. And now, as the lion paused
as if to ga