ed it away from such
unpleasant neighbours.

It was quite dark before we had finished our meal. We were sitting
before the fire still discussing our venison with no little appetite.
Solon was sitting by my side, and I was every now and then throwing him
a piece, which he seemed to relish as much as we did, when suddenly he
pricked his ears, and jumping up, threw himself into an attitude of the
most earnest watchfulness. I was certain that some animal or other was
prowling round, so seizing my rifle I stepped out a little way beyond
the fire to try and discover what it was. Scarcely had I done so when I
heard a roar, and there stood, the bright glare of the fire lighting up
his tawny mane, either the huge lion I had seen at the pond, or one
equally large and powerful. He had, I suspected, regretted letting me
off so easily, and had followed me to our camp. He stood looking
fiercely at me for a few seconds, then, uttering a terrific roar, he
seemed about to spring on me. I held my rifle ready to fire, but I felt
that there were many chances of my missing him. I would much rather
have had to encounter even the fiercest of elephants.

I shouted out to Bigg, "A lion! a lion!"

Scarcely were the words out of my mouth, when he was on his feet by my
side with a large burning log in his hand. He sprang forward, and
before I could stop him had dashed it full in the face of the savage
brute. So astonished was the lion that, without an attempt at
retaliation, he turned round, and with Solon barking defiance at him,
dashed off again into the bush. Though we did not think that the same
lion would come again, the lesson was not lost on us, and we resolved to
have a large fire blazing, and to keep watch during the night. As I sat
up during my part of the watch, constantly keeping my eyes around me, I
could hear the lions muttering and calling to each other with sounds
very unlike the roar they utter when they are quarrelling over a carcass
or about to spring on their prey. There were, too, the cries of
jackals, the laughing of hyenas, the occasional trumpeting of an
elephant, the croakings of night-birds, or of insects or reptiles of
various sorts, which, all mingled together, formed a concert which
effectually banished sleep, and was anything but enlivening and
inspiriting. Thus passed my second night in the midst of an African
desert.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

FRESH PLAN ADOPTED--HUNT FOR A SUIT OF CLOTHES--KILL A LION