uld give him the command of the whole interior--for the former
dwelling of the field-cornet comprised only a single apartment. During
his residence there, there had been two, thanks to a partition of
zebra-skins; but these had been removed, and all was now in one room.

At first Von Bloom could think of no other plan to get at the enemy, and
yet this one did not quite please him. It was safe enough, and, if
carried out, could only end in the death of the lion.

A hole in both door and window-shutter would enable them to fire at the
brute as many bullets as they pleased, while they would be quite secure
from his attack. But the _time_ that would be required to cut these
holes--that was why the plan did not please the field-cornet. He and
his party had no time to spare: their horses were weak with hunger, and
a long journey lay before them ere a morsel could be obtained. No,--the
time could not be spared for making a breach. Some more expeditious
mode of attack must be devised.

"Father," said Hendrik, "suppose we set the house on fire?"

Good. The suggestion was a good one. Von Bloom cast his eyes up to the
roof--a sloping structure with long eaves. It consisted of heavy beams
of dry wood with rafters and laths, and all covered over with a thatch
of rushes, a foot in thickness. It would make a tremendous blaze, and
the smoke would be likely enough to suffocate the lion even before the
blaze could get at him. The suggestion of Hendrik was adopted. They
prepared to fire the house.

There was still a large quantity of rubbish,--the collected firewood
which the locusts had not devoured. This would enable them to carry out
their purpose; and all three immediately set about hauling it up, and
piling it against the door.

One might almost have fancied that the lion had fathomed their design;
for, although he had been for a long while quite silent, he now
commenced a fresh spell of roaring. Perhaps the noise of the logs,
striking against the door outside, had set him at it; and, finding
himself thus shut up and baited, he had grown impatient. What he had
sought as a _shelter_ had been turned into a _trap_, and he was now
anxious to get out of it. This was evident by the demonstrations he
began to make. They could hear him rushing about--passing from door to
window--striking both with his huge paws, and causing them to shake upon
their hinges--all the while uttering the most fiendish roars.

Though not wit