e below.

It was a cautious piece of reconnoitring, but from his position he could
see very little. There was the kopje, and the sky beginning to flame
golden; but there was plenty of room for the lioness to be crouching
beneath the window unseen, or on either side close up to the wall, where
he could not get a view without thrusting out head and shoulders, and so
placing himself in position for the enemy to make one lightning-like dab
at him with the claw-armed paw, and drag him out as a cat would a mouse.

Dyke drew back a little, and waited, listening to the neighing of one of
the horses, which started the remaining cows into a long, protesting
bellow, as the poor beasts asked to be relieved of their load of milk.

Then the boy's heart started beating again violently, for he felt that
the moment for action was fast approaching, if not at hand. He started
round listening, and as he did, he saw that the place was fairly lit up
now, and Emson's face stood out clearly as he lay peacefully asleep.

Duke snuffled at the crack at the bottom of the door, and uttered an
uneasy growl; while, plainly enough to be heard now, there was a
stealthy step, passing along beside the building, and making for the
back.

"Safe there!" thought Dyke; and the dog uttered his uneasy growl, while
his master listened intently for the creature's return.

And now that the peril seemed to be so close, Dyke's nerve grew firmer,
and ready to fire as soon as the lioness came round the other way, as he
felt sure she would, he encouraged himself with the thought that if he
were only steady, he could not miss.

He was not long kept waiting. There was the stealthy, soft step again,
and the sound of the animal's side brushing lightly against the
corrugated iron wall. But, to the overturning of the boy's
expectations, the sounds were not continued round from the back toward
the window, but in the same direction as that in which they had
previously been heard.

Duke uttered a low, muttering growl, and glanced round at his master,
thrusting his nose again to the bottom of the door, where the stealthy
pace ceased, and there was the sound as of the beast passing its muzzle
over the door.

The dog uttered a loud bark, and Dyke presented the muzzle of the gun,
half prepared to fire through the boards, but raised it, with his face
wrinkling up from a mingling of annoyance, surprise, and amusement, for
in answer to the dog's sharp bark, came:

"Ah-