a report and bring out
reinforcements, and then made plans to surround the strip of woods. By
this time quite a crowd had collected, and the animal trainer selected
volunteers to set up a guard about the trees and give warning if the
lion attempted to break cover.

"All you have to do," he explained, "is to climb a tree near where I
post you, and if you see anything of the lion, sing out. He can't climb
a tree, of course, so you'll be perfectly safe."

There was no lack of volunteers, and our three comrades were among the
first to proffer their services. "This is a little more than we had
counted on," laughed Tom; "we expected _some_ excitement for our money,
of course, but nothing like this."

"Well, we won't kick now that it is handed to us," remarked Bert; "it
begins to seem like old times again. Only that time we were up against a
tiger instead of a lion."

"Yes, that's so," agreed Dick, "but I hope we don't have as close a
shave this time as we had then. That was getting a little too close to
the undertaker to suit me."

"No, we won't go looking for trouble the way we did that time," said
Bert. "If that lion wants us, he'll have to climb a tree to get us. I'm
not anxious for a fracas with a big healthy lion. I'll leave that
pleasure to some one else."

By this time twilight had begun to set in, and it was with the greatest
caution that the volunteers and circus men began to skirt the edge of
the patch of trees. The head trainer went with them, and at intervals
stationed one of the band in a convenient tree. "Just keep your eyes
peeled until it's too dark to see," he instructed them, "and by that
time we'll have torches from the circus. Then we'll form a ring of fire
around the woods, and keep the brute inside it until daybreak. Then
we'll get him, dead or alive."

In this way he made the circuit of the woods, until his last helper had
been stationed to his satisfaction. Tom, Bert and Dick were stationed in
succession at a distance from each other of two or three hundred yards,
and accommodated themselves as best they could among the branches. They
kept a sharp lookout below them, but all remained quiet and undisturbed,
and it seemed hard to believe that there was lurking death in the midst
of the quiet woodland. No sound reached their ears save an occasional
distant shout, probably of command or direction from the head trainer.

Time wore on slowly, after the first excitement had passed, and the
watchers