tinctly heard, although they could not plainly
distinguish, the tearing of the animal's flesh and the breaking of its
bones by the lion, while its bellowings were most pitiful.

They all now fired in the direction where they heard the noise; the lion
replied to the volley by a tremendous roar, and rushed up within twenty
yards of the waggons, so as to be distinctly visible. Bremen begged our
travellers not to molest the animal, as it was evidently very hungry and
very angry, and would certainly make a spring upon them, which must be
attended with disastrous effects.

The other lions were also now moving round and round the camp; they
therefore reloaded their guns, and remained still, looking at the lion
tearing and devouring his prey.

"We must be quiet here," said Bremen to Alexander; "there are many lions
round us, and our fire is not sufficient to scare them away, and they
may attack us."

"Would it not be better to fire our guns,--that would frighten them?"

"Yes, sir, it would frighten the other lions, perhaps, but it would
enrage this one so near to us, and he would certainly make a charge. We
had better throw a little gunpowder upon some ashes now and then, as we
have but a small fire: the flash will drive them away for the time."

In the mean time the lion was making his meal upon the poor ox, and when
any other of the hungry lions approached him, he would rush at them, and
pursue them for some paces with a horrible growl, which made not only
the poor oxen, but the men also, to shudder as they heard it.

In this manner was the night passed away, every one with his gun in his
hand, expecting an immediate attack; but the morning at last dawned, to
the great relief of them all. The lions had disappeared, and they
walked out to where the old lion had made his meal, and found that he
had devoured nearly the whole of the ox; and such was the enormous
strength of his jaws, that the rib-bones were all demolished, and the
bones of the legs, which are known as the marrow-bones, were broken as
if by a hammer.

"I really," observed the Major, "have more respect for a lion, the more
I become intimate with his feline majesty."

"Well, but he is now," observed Swinton, "and I think that we had better
be off too."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

The oxen were yoked, and the caravan proceeded at a slow pace to gain
the wished-for river. As our travellers walked their horses--for the
poor animals had been without food or