of an event that had transpired
at his camp the previous night--an event which he had not mentioned at
the bungalow for fear of drawing undesired attention to his movements
and bringing the blacks of the big Bwana into dangerous intercourse
with his own boys. He had told at the bungalow that half his men had
deserted. That story might be quickly disproved should his boys and
Bwana's grow confidential.

The event that he had failed to mention and which now urged him
hurriedly after the girl and her escort had occurred during his absence
early the preceding evening. His men had been sitting around their
camp fire, entirely encircled by a high, thorn boma, when, without the
slightest warning, a huge lion had leaped amongst them and seized one
of their number. It had been solely due to the loyalty and courage of
his comrades that his life had been saved, and then only after a battle
royal with the hunger-enraged beast had they been able to drive him off
with burning brands, spears, and rifles.

From this Hanson knew that a man eater had wandered into the district
or been developed by the aging of one of the many lions who ranged the
plains and hills by night, or lay up in the cool wood by day. He had
heard the roaring of a hungry lion not half an hour before, and there
was little doubt in his mind but that the man eater was stalking Meriem
and Baynes. He cursed the Englishman for a fool, and spurred rapidly
after them.

Meriem and Baynes had drawn up in a small, natural clearing. A hundred
yards beyond them Numa lay crouching in the underbrush, his
yellow-green eyes fixed upon his prey, the tip of his sinuous tail
jerking spasmodically. He was measuring the distance between him and
them. He was wondering if he dared venture a charge, or should he wait
yet a little longer in the hope that they might ride straight into his
jaws. He was very hungry; but also was he very crafty. He could not
chance losing his meat by a hasty and ill-considered rush. Had he
waited the night before until the blacks slept he would not have been
forced to go hungry for another twenty-four hours.

Behind him the other that had caught his scent and that of man together
came to a sitting posture upon the branch of a tree in which he had
reposed himself for slumber. Beneath him a lumbering gray hulk swayed
to and fro in the darkness. The beast in the tree uttered a low
guttural and dropped to the back of the gray mass. He whispered a