rry back with us. Instead, however, of beginning to
tear the giraffe to pieces, the lions began walking round and round it
and roaring lustily, possibly thinking that it was the bait to a trap,
as they are taught by experience to be wary, many of their relatives
having been caught in traps set by the natives. So occupied were the
brutes with this matter that they did not discover us though we were at
no great distance from them.

The two giraffes, on hearing the first lion roar, had trotted off, or
they would probably have soon been attacked.

"Stay here, Fred!" whispered my uncle to me: "I will descend and get a
shot at one of those fellows--don't be alarmed. If I kill him, the
chances are the other runs off. At all events, I will retreat to the
tree, and do you keep ready to fire, should he follow me, while I
reload. In the meantime there is no real danger."

I felt somewhat nervous at hearing this, though my uncle knew so well
what he was about that I need not have been alarmed for his safety.
Before I could reply he had descended the tree. Holding his rifle
ready, he advanced towards the lions, but even then, as he was to
leeward they did not discover him.

He was within fifteen paces of them, when he stopped and levelled his
rifle. Just then they both saw him, and looked up as if greatly
astonished at his audacity. He fired, and the first lion, giving a
spring in the air, fell over on the body of the giraffe.

The second stopped, hesitating whether to leap on his enemy or to take
to flight. This gave my uncle time to reload when he slowly stepped
back towards the tree, facing the lion, which advanced at the same pace.

"Now, Fred! let me see what you can do," he shouted out as he found that
the brute had got within range of my rifle.

I obeyed him, earnestly trusting that my shot would take effect. I felt
sure that I had hit the animal, though, when the smoke cleared off, to
my dismay I saw it about to spring at my uncle. He stood as calm as if
the creature had been a harmless sheep. Just as the lion rose from the
ground, I heard the crack of his rifle, and it fell back, shot through
the heart. I quickly scrambled down to the ground to survey the giraffe
and the two lions. My uncle seemed in no way elated by his victory.
"If we had had our waggon we might have secured the skins," he observed;
"but as it is, we must content ourselves with some of the giraffe's
flesh, which we shall find palatabl