e his wife to go home.

"Yes, but it _is_ so dangerous, and only think, if it should get hold of
you--and I _know_ your headstrong courage will make you do something
foolhardy--what is to become of me and Jessie?"

It was evident from the tone of McTavish's reply that he did not care
much what should become of either wife or daughter just then, for he saw
that his male friends were laughing at him, but he was fortunately
relieved by Jerry Goldboy coming up at the moment--with the blunderbuss
on his shoulder--and informing Mrs McTavish that her "pet," a lamb
which had been recently purchased from one of the Tarka boers, was at
large, with two or three hungry dogs looking earnestly at it!

The good lady at once forsook the old goat, and ran back with Jessie to
the rescue of the pet lamb.

"What have 'ee putt i' the 'buss?" asked Sandy Black of Jerry, with a
sly look, as the latter joined the group of hunters.

"Well, d'you know, I ain't quite sure," replied Jerry in some confusion;
"I--I was called out so suddenly that I 'ad scarce time to think."

"Think!" repeated Black; "it doesna tak' muckle time to think hoo to
load a gun, but to be sure _your_ gun is a pecooliar ane."

"Well, you see," returned Jerry, with the troubled look still on his
countenance, "it does require a little consideration, because it would
be useless to load with my ordinary charge of gravel for a lion. Then I
feared to put in large stones, lest they should jam in the barrel an'
bu'st the hold thing. So I collected a lot of hold buttons and a few
nails, besides two or three thimbles, but--"

"Weel," said Black, as his friend paused, "thae sort o' slugs wull at
least gie the lion a peppery sort o' feeling, if naethin' waur."

"Yes, but, d'you see," continued Jerry, "there was a silver tea-spoon on
the table when I made the collection of things, and after I had loaded I
I couldn't find the tea-spoon, and I fear--"

Just at that moment Groot Willem galloped upon the scene and was
received with a hearty cheer.

The Hottentots were now sent on in advance to trace out the "spoor"--in
other words, the track of the lion.

On the way one of the Dutchmen entertained those of the settlers who
were inexperienced with an account of the mode in which lion-hunts
should be conducted. The right way to go to work, he said, was to set
the dogs into the cover and drive the lion into the open, when the whole
band of hunters should march forward together