tures are sailing about on
high, and one sees the dead animal; then other vultures see him making
for it, and follow."

"And the jackals see the vultures, and follow too?"

"That seems to be the way, old fellow. Anyhow, they always manage to
find out where there's anything to eat."

"I say, don't he look big?" said Dyke, as the carcass of the dead lion
lay now well in sight.

"Yes; he's one of the finest I have seen. You ought to get the teeth
out of his head, little un; they'd do to save up for your museum."

"I will," said Dyke.

The next minute they had dismounted, and were removing the horses'
bridles to let them pick off the green shoots of the bushes. The rifles
had been laid down, and Duke had gone snuffing about among the rocks,
while Jack was proceeding to sharpen the edge of one of his assegais,
when the dog suddenly gave tongue. There was a furious roar, the horses
pressed up together, and from close at hand a lion, evidently the
companion of that lying dead, sprang out and bounded away, soon placing
itself out of shot.

"Ought to have been with us this morning," said Dyke, as he called back
the dog.

"Couldn't have done better if we had had him," said Emson, quietly
rolling up his sleeves, an example followed by the boy.

"Think that one will come back again?" was the next remark.

"Not while we are here," was Emson's reply; and then, as the evening was
drawing on, he set to work helping Jack, who was cleverly running the
point and edge of his assegai through the skin from the lion's chin to
tail, and then inside each leg right down to the toes.

A busy time ensued, resulting in the heavy skin being removed uninjured,
and rolled up and packed across Emson's horse.

"You'll have to leave the teeth till another day," said Emson, as the
stars began to peep out faintly, and they trotted homeward; but before
they had left the carcass a couple of hundred yards, a snapping,
snarling, and howling made Duke stop short and look inquiringly up at
his masters, as much as to say:

"Are you going to let them do that?" But at a word he followed on
obediently, and the noise increased.

"Won't be much lion left by to-morrow morning, Joe," said Dyke.

"No, boy. Africa is well scavengered, what with the jackals, birds, and
flies. But we'd better get that skin well under cover somewhere when we
are back."

"Why? Think the jackals will follow, and try and drag it away?"

"No; I was feeling sure that