hrowing himself on his knees, he lapped up greedily the red blood as it
flowed from the wound.

It was a horrible and fascinating sight. He drank long and deeply, and
when at length he rose from his savage feast the ferocity of the lion
seemed actually to have flowed into his own veins, so horrible and
demon-like was the expression on his dusky face.

Shaking the blood-stained spear, he shouted two or three times in a
frenzied manner, and then tottering to the raft, flung himself among the
rugs.

"We are saved," cried Forbes with sudden inspiration. "There lies meat
in plenty."

Melton's words caused a speedy revulsion of feeling. The colonel shouted
for very joy, and Canaris sprang toward the dead lion with drawn knife.

"Cut off as much of the meat as you can," said Guy. "Here, give me my
saber. Let me help."

He turned to reach it, but a sudden weakness came over him, and he was
compelled to lie down on the rugs. The colonel, in deep alarm, made a
hasty examination to see if he had sustained any injury, but with the
exception of a severe bruising and a slight laceration of the left arm,
caused by the lion's teeth, he appeared to be all right.

Melton and Canaris were just on the point of cutting into the dead lion
with their sabers, the only weapons that remained to them, when a fierce
roar echoed through the cavern, repeated two or three times in rapid
succession, and in the gloom they could see a pair of shining eyes.

"Run for the raft," cried the Greek; and, as they reached the shore, a
superb lioness bounded forward and stood by the body of her mate.

"See!" cried the colonel, pointing a trembling finger. "Two more lions
coming out of the cavern. Push the raft into the water at once or we
shall be devoured."

The danger was indeed imminent, and yet, in their starving condition, it
was hard to leave all that meat behind. Forbes, impelled by some mad
impulse, pointed his revolver at the angry lioness, but Guy grasped his
arm before he could pull the trigger. Two more lions were now in plain
view, stalking slowly out of the shadows.

"The pistol is useless," said Guy. "We dare not resist. We must get away
as silently as possible."

The raft had been tossed but lightly upon the beach, and with but little
effort it was pushed free of the shore and trembled on the water.

A loud roar close at hand caused them to fall on board in frantic haste,
and as the swift current whirled them away the three lions t