owls from within would have made a stouter heart than
Swartboy's quail with fear.

In this dilemma Hendrik came to his relief. Hendrik had conceived a way
of getting possession of the string, without going near the door!

Calling to Swartboy to be on his guard, he rode within thirty yards of
the entrance--but on the other side from where Swartboy was--and there
halted. At the place there stood a post with several forks upon it, that
had been used as a bridle-post.

Hendrik dismounted, hooked his rein over one of these forks; rested his
yaeger across another; and then, sighting the shaft of the arrow, pulled
trigger. The rifle cracked, the broken stick was seen to fly out from
the door, and the string was set free!

All were ready to gallop off; but the lion, although he growled fiercely
on hearing the shot, still lay close.

Swartboy now drew in the string; and, having adjusted it to a fresh
arrow, moved round so as to command a view of the window. In a few
minutes the shaft had cut through the air and stuck deep into the
yielding wood, and then the shutter swung round on its hinges, and was
drawn close.

All three now dismounted, ran silently and rapidly up, and secured both
door and shutter with strong rheins of raw hide.

"Hurrah! the lion was caged."

CHAPTER XI.

THE DEATH OF THE LION.

Yes, the fierce brute was fairly in the trap. The three hunters breathed
freely.

But how was the affair to end? Both door and window-shutter fitted
strongly and closely; and, although it was possible to glance through
the chinks, nothing could be seen inside--since, both being shut, it was
quite dark within.

Even could the lion have been seen, there was no hole through which to
thrust the muzzle of a gun and fire at him. He was just as safe as his
captors; and, so long as the door remained closed, they could do him no
more harm than he could them.

They might leave him shut up, and let him starve. He could live for a
while upon what the jackals had left, with the carcasses of the two
dogs, but that would not sustain him long, and in the end he would have
to give up and miserably perish. After all, this did not seem so certain
to Von Bloom and his companions. Finding that he was caged in earnest,
the brute might attack the door, and with his sharp claws and teeth
manage to cut his way through.

But the angry field-cornet had not the slightest intention of leaving
the lion such a chance. He was determined