er all trees and bushes upon the slope.

This gave him more confidence for a time, as the shades of evening fell
fast, and all below in the deep ravine grew black, but he was startled
again by a low rushing noise that came down the valley, followed by a
piteous wail which sent a chill through him, and made the hands which
held the gun grow moist.

"Was it the night breeze or some bird?" he asked himself, and as he was
debating with himself as to whether he might not summon Yussuf or Mr
Burne to stay with him, there came a gentle crackling noise from the
side of the ravine, such as might be made by some wild beast, fresh from
its lair, and in search of food.

"What could it be?" he asked himself, as in spite of his determination
his nervousness increased, and he realised that strength of mind is a
good deal dependent upon vigour of body, and that he was far from
possessing either.

What wild beast was it likely to be? He had heard of Syrian lions, but
he thought that there could not be any there now; tigers he knew enough
of natural history to feel would be in India; leopards in Africa. Then
what was this which approached? It must be one of two things--either a
hyena or a wolf.

The former he had heard was extremely cowardly, unless it had to deal
with a child or a lamb; but wolves, if hungry, were savage in the
extreme, and as the noise continued, he brought the muzzle of the gun to
bear, and the _click, click_, made by the locks sounded so loudly in the
still evening air, that the creature, whatever it was, probably a lemur
or wild-cat, took alarm, bounded off, and was heard no more.

Then the heavy sleepy sensation began to resume its sway, and though the
lad remained standing, his eyes closed, and he was suddenly completely
overcome with fatigue and fast asleep, when he woke with a start, for a
voice just behind him said:

"Well, boy, how are you getting on?" and a faint odour of snuff,
sufficient to be inhaled and to make him sneeze, roused Lawrence into
thorough wakefulness.

"I was getting drowsy, Mr Burne," said Lawrence sadly.

"Enough to make you, my lad. I've had a nap since I sat down, but I'm
fresh as a daisy now. I'm to relieve you, while Yussuf or the professor
is to come by and by and relieve me. I say, how do you like playing at
soldiers?"

"Playing at soldiers, Mr Burne?"

"Well, what else do you call it?--mounting guard, and fighting robbers,
and all that sort of thing. I'm getting