the bleat of a
goat, while further away still could be heard the awe-inspiring roar of
the lions after their prey.

"Hanged if I like the idea of those huge brutes leaping right upon us,"
whispered Spofforth. "I, being the tallest of the crush, will be sure
to bear the brunt of his leap."

Spofforth was the giant of the battalion, standing six feet four inches
in his socks, and proportionately broad of shoulder and massive of
limb. At the last regimental sports he carried off the running,
long-jump and hurdle events, while as a boxer and a wrestler he was a
match for most men, yet he expressed his fears with all sincerity,
inwardly wishing for the rising of the moon.

The Haussas, too, were far from comfortable. Had they their wish they
would have lighted a roaring fire, one of the most effective though not
infallible means of keeping wild animals at bay.

The fifty minutes' halt in the desolate bush terminated when the deep
orange-hued orb of night rose above the distant sea. As the shadows
shortened the trek was resumed, each man keeping his loaded rifle ready
for instant use.

Before they had gone two hundred yards, following a native path on
which the spoor of a couple of lions was distinctly visible, Laxdale
suddenly disappeared, while Wilmshurst, who was walking hard on his
heels, was only just able to save himself from following his example.

Followed a great commotion in which the luckless subaltern's shouts
mingled with the terrified bleating of a goat.

"Help us out, you fellows," cried Laxdale in desperation. "I've a
whole menagerie for company by the feel of it."

"You'll scare every lion within five miles of us, laddie," expostulated
MacGregor, kneeling at the edge of the pitfall and peering into the
darkness within.

With the assistance of his electric torch Wilmshurst made the discovery
that the trap was a hole of about twelve feet in depth and about the
same distance in length. In breadth it overlapped the path, its
presence being skilfully concealed by branches of trees overlaid with
broad leaves on which earth had been thrown and lightly pressed so as
to give it the appearance of part of the beaten track. In the floor of
the pit pointed stakes had been driven, but fortunately Laxdale had
fallen between them and thus escaped being impaled. His sole companion
was a goat that, left without food and water, was to act as a decoy to
the lions. Evidently the pitfall had been recently dug,