otu, stretched on their beds inside Will Tree, were
trying in vain to sleep. Godfrey, by the struggling light of a torch,
was turning over the pages of his Bible.

About ten o'clock a distant noise, which came nearer and nearer, was
heard outside away towards the north. There could be no mistake. It was
the wild beasts prowling in the neighbourhood, and, alarming to relate,
the howling of the tiger and of the hyaena, and the roaring of the
panther and the lion were this time blended in one formidable concert.

Godfrey, Tartlet, and the negro sat up, each a prey to indescribable
anguish. If at this unaccountable invasion of ferocious animals
Carefinotu shared the alarm of his companions, his astonishment was
quite equal to his fright.

During two mortal hours all three kept on the alert. The howlings
sounded at times close by; then they suddenly ceased, as if the beasts,
not knowing the country, were roaming about all over it. Perhaps then
Will Tree would escape an attack!

"It doesn't matter if it does," thought Godfrey. "If we do not destroy
these animals to the very last one, there will be no safety for us in
the island!"

A little after midnight the roaring began again in full strength at a
moderate distance away. Impossible now to doubt but that the howling
army was approaching Will Tree!

Yes! It was only too certain! But whence came these wild animals? They
could not have recently landed on Phina Island! They must have been
there then before Godfrey's arrival! But how was it that all of them had
remained hidden during his walks and hunting excursions, as well across
the centre as in the most out-of-the-way parts to the south? For Godfrey
had never found a trace of them. Where was the mysterious den which
vomited forth lions, hyaenas, panthers, tigers? Amongst all the
unaccountable things up to now this was indeed the most unaccountable.

Carefinotu could not believe what he heard. We have said that his
astonishment was extreme. By the light of the fire which illuminated the
interior of Will Tree there could be seen on his black face the
strangest of grimaces.

Tartlet in the corner, groaned and lamented, and moaned again. He would
have asked Godfrey all about it, but Godfrey was not in the humour to
reply. He had a presentiment of a very great danger, he was seeking for
a way to retreat from it.

Once or twice Carefinotu and he went out to the centre of the palisade.
They wished to see that the door was