away from
its immediate vicinity; and I knew also, that at any distance from the
flames I was as likely to be seized by a savage animal as I should be
did no fire exist.

I could hear every now and then the mutterings and occasional roars of
lions, with the cries of hyaenas and jackals, and the calls of various
night-birds. Altogether the concert had a somewhat depressing effect,
accustomed though I was by this time to the noises proceeding from an
African forest.

At last the time I had agreed to watch came to an end, and I roused up
Harry, charging him to keep a bright look-out.

"Do not let yourself drop off for a moment, old fellow," I said; "as
long as any prowling animal sees you moving about around the fire he'll
not venture to make an attack; but should you slumber for a moment, it
is impossible to say what he may do."

"I do feel awfully drowsy, I own," answered Harry, rubbing his eyes and
yawning; "still I'll do my best. It is a shame that fellow Hans won't
stand watch as he ought to do. I only hope that another lion will come
roaring close up to the camp, for the sake of making him get on his
legs. He knows that neither you nor I would sleep on our posts, so he
rests in perfect security, throwing all the trouble on us."

Harry and I talked on for a little time, I hoping that he would thus be
thoroughly aroused; then I lay down on the spot he had occupied, pretty
close to the fire, with my rifle by my side ready for instant use.

It appeared to me that I had not been asleep five minutes when I heard
Harry exclaim--

"Fred, rouse Jan. Up with you, and get ready for battle."

I seized my rifle and sprang to my feet, as wide awake as ever I was in
my life, and there I saw, not six paces off, a creature with glaring
eyes; not a lion, however, but looking unusually large as it emerged
from the darkness into the light of the fire.

It crouched as if for a spring; at the same moment I heard Hans shriek
out. For an instant I glanced round, and caught an indistinct sight of
another big cat-like creature stealing towards the rear of the camp.

"You and Jan must look out after that brute, and we'll attend to this
one," I shouted.

As I spoke, the leopard, for such it was, notwithstanding our cries,--
Harry, I should have said, had begun to bawl away as loudly as I was
doing,--made a furious spring towards him; but though he was shouting
lustily, he remained as cool as a cucumber, holding his rifle rea