ted in our joy,
while the hundreds of spectators on the wall who fortunately dared not
descend into the den because of the lions, which are undiscriminating
beasts, yelled with rage at the imminent rescue of the sacrifice.

Then of a sudden the position changed. From every quarter fresh lions
seemed to arrive, ringing the men round and clearly bent on slaughter,
although the shouting and the sound of firearms, which they had never
heard before, frightened them and made them cautious.

A half-grown cub rushed in and knocked over Japhet and Higgs. I fired
and hit it in the flank. It bit savagely at its wound, then sprang on to
the prostrate pair, and stood over them growling, but in such pain that
it forgot to kill them. The ring of beasts closed in--we could see their
yellow eyes glowing in the gloom. Orme and Quick might have got through
by the help of their rifles, but they could not leave the others. The
dreadful climax seemed at hand.

"Follow me," said Maqueda, who all this while had watched panting at my
side, and rose to run to the ladder. I thrust her back.

"Nay," I shouted. "Follow me, Abati! Shall a woman lead you?"

Of how I descended that ladder I have no recollection, nor do I in the
least know how the Mountaineers came after me, but I think that the most
of them rolled and scrambled down the thirty feet of rock. At least, to
their honour be it said, they did come, yelling like demons and waving
long knives in their hands.

The effect of our sudden arrival from above was extraordinary. Scared
by the rush and the noise, the lions gave way, then bolted in every
direction, the wounded cub, which could not, or would not move, being
stabbed to death where it stood over Higgs and Japhet.

Five minutes more and all of us were safe in the mouth of the tunnel.

That was how we rescued Higgs from the den of the sacred lions which
guarded the idol of the Fung.

CHAPTER XIII

THE ADVENTURES OF HIGGS

A more weary and dishevelled set of people than that which about the
hour of dawn finally emerged from the mouth of the ancient shaft on to
the cliffs of Mur it has seldom been my lot to behold. Yet with a single
exception the party was a happy one, for we had come triumphant through
great dangers, and actually effected our object--the rescue of
Higgs, which, under the circumstances most people would have thought
impossible. Yes, there he was in the flesh before us, having injured his
knee and lost his