to destroy the beast before
leaving the ground; and he now set to thinking how this could be
accomplished in the speediest and most effectual manner.

At first he thought of cutting a hole in the door with his knife, large
enough to see through and admit the barrel of his roer. Should he not
succeed in getting a view of the beast through that one, he would make
another in the window-shutter. The two being on adjacent sides of the
house, would give him the command of the whole interior--for the former
dwelling of the field-cornet comprised only a single apartment. During
his residence there, there had been two, thanks to a partition of
zebra-skins; but these had been removed, and all was now in one room.

At first Von Bloom could think of no other plan to get at the enemy, and
yet this one did not quite please him. It was safe enough, and, if
carried out, could only end in the death of the lion.

A hole in both door and window-shutter would enable them to fire at the
brute as many bullets as they pleased, while they would be quite secure
from his attack. But the time that would be required to cut these
holes--that was why the plan did not please the field-cornet. He and his
party had no time to spare; their horses were weak with hunger, and a
long journey lay before them ere a morsel could be obtained. No,--the
time could not be spared for making a breach. Some more expeditious mode
of attack must be devised.

"Father," said Hendrik, "suppose we set the house on fire?"

Good. The suggestion was a good one. Von Bloom cast his eyes up to the
roof--a sloping structure with long eaves. It consisted of heavy beams
of dry wood with rafters and laths, and all covered over with a thatch
of rushes, a foot in thickness. It would make a tremendous blaze, and
the smoke would be likely enough to suffocate the lion even before the
blaze could get at him.

The suggestion of Hendrik was adopted. They prepared to fire the house.

There was still a large quantity of rubbish,--the collected firewood
which the locusts had not devoured. This would enable them to carry out
their purpose; and all three immediately set about hauling it up, and
piling it against the door.

One might almost have fancied that the lion had fathomed their design;
for, although he had been for a long while quite silent, he now
commenced a fresh spell of roaring. Perhaps the noise of the logs,
striking against the door outside, had set him at it; and, finding