ed him. Still, because of the shield, as yet she could not
come at him to slay him; but Umslopogaas saw that this might not endure,
for presently the shield would be torn aside and the stranger must
be killed. Now in the breast of the lioness still stood the half of
Umslopogaas's broken spear, and its blade was a span deep in her breast.
Then this thought came into the mind of Umslopogaas, that he would drive
the spear home or die. So he rose swiftly, for strength came back to him
in his need, and ran to where the lioness worried at him who lay beneath
the shield. She did not heed him, so he flung himself upon his knees
before her, and, seizing the haft of the broken spear, drive it deep
into her and wrenched it round. Now she saw Umslopogaas and turned
roaring, and clawed at him, tearing his breast and arms. Then, as he
lay, he heard a mighty howling, and, behold! grey wolves and black
leaped upon the lioness and rent and worried her till she fell and was
torn to pieces by them. After this the senses of Umslopogaas left him
again, and the light went out of his eyes so that he was as one dead.

At length his mind came back to him, and with it his memory, and he
remembered the lioness and looked up to find her. But he did not find
her, and he saw that he lay in a cave upon a bed of grass, while all
about him were the skins of beasts, and at his side was a pot filled
with water. He put out his hand and, taking the pot, drank of the water,
and then he saw that his arm was wasted as with sickness, and that his
breast was thick with scars scarcely skinned over.

Now while he lay and wondered, the mouth of the cave was darkened, and
through it entered that same lad who had done battle with the lioness
and been overthrown by her, bearing a dead buck upon his shoulders. He
put down the buck upon the ground, and, walking to where Umslopogaas
lay, looked at him.

"Ou!" he said, "your eyes are open--do you, then, live, stranger?"

"I live," answered Umslopogaas, "and I am hungry."

"It is time," said the other, "since with toil I bore you here through
the forest, for twelve days you have lain without sense, drinking water
only. So deeply had the lion clawed you that I thought of you as dead.
Twice I was near to killing you, that you might cease to suffer and I to
be troubled; but I held my hand, because of a word which came to me
from one who is dead. Now eat, that your strength may return to you.
Afterwards, we will talk."