with the rays of the scorching sun, there was no trace of
poor Coffee; and after separating, when they met again from time to time
poor worn out Chicory looked his despair.

Again they separated, Jack following, however, pretty closely upon poor
Chicory's steps, till the excitement that had kept him up so long began
to fail, and he sat down pretty well exhausted, with his rifle across
his knees and his back against a tree.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

JACK ROGERS GOES TO SLEEP.

Jack could hardly tell afterwards how it all happened, for he felt that
he must have gone off fast asleep from utter exhaustion, but his sleep
could not have lasted above an hour, for when he awoke with a start the
sun had only just dipped down out of sight, and there was a faint glow
still amongst the trees.

All was very silent and he was drowsy, but a feeling of alarm now began
to oppress him, and he wondered whether Chicory and the General would
soon be there.

His next thought was about his rifle, which still lay across his knees;
and feeling that he might at any moment be called upon to use it in his
defence, he cocked both barrels, and was then about to get up and shout,
when, not a hundred yards away down a broad vista of the open forest, he
saw something which made him present his rifle and then sit motionless,
with his heart going thump, thump, heavily beneath his ribs.

For there, stealing softly along, with its belly almost sweeping the
ground, was a huge lion--not a smooth, maneless lion, such as the two
they had slain, but a big-muzzled, rugged-maned, hairy monster, such as
he was familiar with in pictures--the natural history lion that he had
seen a hundred times.

To have attempted to fire would have been madness at that distance, and
it was evident that he was at present in no danger, for seated as he was
in the shadow, with his back to the trunk of a great tree, the lion had
not seen him.

The next moment Jack saw why he passed unnoticed.

The lion was cautiously stalking some dark animal that was softly
gliding through the bushes, following it step by step awaiting the time
to spring.

It was an interesting sight, though painful; and Jack thought of his
brother's adventure with the serpent, and whether he was not in duty
bound to save this animal from its pursuer as his brother saved the
gazelle.

The next moment Jack's heart seemed to stand still, for the dark animal
passed out of the bushes into sight, and he saw