n prowling near the verge of the bushes around
them, as if anxious to join in the feast, which no doubt was the case.

"Don't they do mischief sometimes?" he inquired of Antonio.

"No; him a cowardly beast. Him come at mans when sleepin' or dyin', but
not at oder time. 'Oo like see me catch um?"

"Why, yes, if 'ee can do it," answered Disco, with a slight look of
contempt at his friend, who bore too much resemblance in some points to
the hyena.

"Come here, den."

They went together into the jungle a little distance, and halted under
the branch of a large tree. To this Antonio suspended a lump of raw
flesh, at such a height from the ground that a hyena could only reach it
by leaping. Directly underneath it he planted a short spear in the
earth with its point upward.

"Now, come back to fire," he said to Disco; "'ou soon hear sometin'."

Antonio was right. In a short time afterwards a sharp yell was heard,
and, on running to the trap, they found a hyena in its death-agonies.
It had leaped at the meat, missed it, and had come down on the spear and
impaled itself.

"Well, of all the fellers I ever know'd for dodges," said Disco, on
reseating himself at the fire, "the men in these latitudes are the
cleverest."

By this time dancing was going on furiously; therefore, as it would have
been impossible to sleep, Disco refilled his pipe and amused himself by
contemplating the intelligent countenance of Kambira, who sat smoking
bang out of a huge native meerschaum on the other side of the fire.

"I wonder," said Harold, who lay stretched on a sleeping-mat, leaning on
his right arm and gazing contemplatively at the glowing heart of the
fire; "I wonder what has become of Yoosoof?"

"Was 'ee thinkin' that he deserved to be shoved in there?" asked Disco,
pointing to the fire.

"Not exactly," replied Harold, laughing; "but I have frequently thought
of the scoundrel, and wondered where he is and what doing now. I have
sometimes thought too, about that girl Azinte, poor thing. She--"

He paused abruptly and gazed at Kambira with great surprise, not unmixed
with alarm, for the chief had suddenly dropped his pipe and glared at
him in a manner that cannot be described. Disco observed the change
also, and was about to speak, when Kambira sprang over the fire and
seized Harold by the arm.

There was something in the movement, however, which forbade the idea of
an attack, therefore he lay still.

"What now, Kambira?