him down to the
bottom of the heap, to which we quickly followed him. He proved to be a
magnificent beast, quite young but full-grown, in perfect condition,
with a most formidable set of claws and fangs, a smooth, glossy hide of
a rich deep tawny hue, and a splendid mane, of so deep a tint as to be
almost black; altogether he was a specimen well worth having, and we
quickly stripped him of his hide, taking also the head, which we
deposited in close proximity to an ants' nest in the full assurance that
the industrious little creatures would clear the skull of every particle
of flesh in the course of a few hours. Then, leaving Piet to clean the
skin and prepare it for packing, I sprang into the saddle and, taking my
rifle, cantered off down the ravine to explore the remaining portion of
it and ascertain whether, as I conjectured, there was a means of egress
at the far end.

I found that, as I had anticipated, the ravine, or gorge, passed right
through the range of hills, and gave access to the open country beyond;
that the route was quite practicable for a wagon throughout its entire
length; and that by making use of it I should save a distance of about
forty miles, or the equivalent of two days' trek: and having satisfied
myself upon these points, I turned my horse's head and proceeded to ride
leisurely back to the wagon, intending to pick up Piet and the lion's
skin on the way.

I had returned about three miles along the ravine, allowing Prince to
proceed at his own pace, with the bridle hanging loose upon his neck,
when I was aroused from a reverie into which I had fallen by a low
whinny from my horse as he suddenly flung up his head, twitched his ears
forward, and directed his glances toward a point some distance ahead and
to the left. I knew at once that he had either sighted or scented
something, or both; and, glancing in the direction indicated, I became
aware that we were approaching an enormous flat boulder, which had
attracted my attention some two hours earlier on my outward journey
because of its immense size and the impossibility of accounting
satisfactorily for its presence just where it was.

But now the boulder was remarkable for quite another reason; for whereas
when I first passed it its flat top was perfectly bare, I perceived that
in the interim it had become a scene of feverish activity, a troop of
quite a hundred monkeys seeming to have taken possession of it. There
was of course nothing very