ow orbs, and then another, and another, gleaming out of
the darkness, until finally he counted no less than seven pairs of eyes,
all intently staring inward. By the flitting to and fro of some of
these pairs of eyes Dick perceived that certain of the lions were
regularly making the circuit of the camp, some in one direction, some in
the other, apparently searching for an unguarded spot at which they
might venture to make a dash; but there were three pairs of eyes that
remained stationary, as though their owners were patiently awaiting a
signal of some sort. These, Dick decided, were the most dangerous of
their foes, and at the same time the most easy to deal with, because of
their immovability; so, returning to the tent he first cast a quick
glance at the still soundly sleeping form of Grosvenor. Then he took up
his bandolier, threw it over his shoulder and adjusted it in position,
seized his rifle and satisfied himself that it was fully loaded, and
again made his way outside.

It took a minute or two for his eyes again to adjust themselves to the
peculiar conditions of the light, but presently he again caught sight of
one of the motionless pairs of eyes, and, sinking upon one knee, he
raised his rifle to his shoulder, carefully brought its two sights
accurately in line with a point midway between the two glowing orbs, and
pressed the trigger. The sharp, whip-like crack of the weapon was
answered by several low, snarling growls, and a swishing of the grass
suggestive of several heavy bodies bounding away through it, while the
stationary and moving pairs of eyes vanished, as if by magic; and a
minute or two later some four or five of the oxen lay down where they
were tethered to the trek chain, with a sigh of obvious relief.

"They are gone, baas," remarked Mafuta, as he again passed with more
fuel; "but we must keep up the fires; for they are almost certain to
come back again. They are young lions who have been driven away from
the pool, and not allowed to hunt there by the old ones, and they are
hungry. Yes, they will come back again; and you will perhaps have to
kill two or three more before they will go away and leave us alone."

"Do you think, then, that I got the fellow I fired at?" demanded Dick.

"Yes, baas," answered Mafuta with confidence. "I heard the bullet
strike. You will find the beast, dead, out there, when the day breaks.
But see, yonder, baas, they are slinking back; there is one pair of eyes