ht, Luji."

The cracking of the brush was heard, then a monotonous chaunt, as the
careless fellow took his way back to camp. Both sounds died away in the
distance, and the hunter felt himself alone, dependent only on himself,
in the middle of the African plain. The moon was in her second quarter,
but would not rise before eleven o'clock, and the darkness grew dense.
The silence of the day was gradually broken into, the jackals and hyenas
began their nightly music, and the watcher, though he could see nothing,
became aware that animals of some kind were splashing and drinking in
the water close to him. He strained his eyes, but could not make out
anything. Soon the jackals scented the carrion, their peculiar wailing
cry coming nearer and nearer. Time wore on, the position in the
cramped-up hole, without the possibility of seeing anything, was an
irksome one, and the hunter, after the fatigues of the day, felt sleep
creeping over him.

He heard the jackals quarrelling and snarling over the carrion; he heard
the sound of the water as it flowed, falling over the neighbouring
ledge, with a continued monotonous noise; he was with the 150th, telling
many a tale of African adventure; in a word, he had fallen asleep, when
a soft, cold, hairy hand was laid on the back of his neck, and a thrill
of horror passed through his frame, as he saw two large eyes looking
through the darkness into his. At this moment the lion roared on the
mountain-side, and the jackals heard it, for they left the carrion,
giving a long mournful howl as they scurried away, and, taking up a
position about half a mile off, filled the air with their plaintive
music. Slowly the upper limb of the moon rose above the mountains, when
again the cold, hairy touch was felt by the watcher, followed by a
twitch at the fur cap he wore, and now by the feeble light he could
distinguish an enormous monkey. It did not seem to have the slightest
fear, but clutched at the sealskin cap, clashing its long teeth
together, and grimacing hideously. Again the lion roared, this time
much nearer, as taking up a broken branch, the hunter struck at the
troublesome baboon, who, chattering with fear, dashed into the tangled
brush. The lion was evidently coming up very cautiously, but presently
the snapping sound of breaking branches was heard, as the animal forced
its way onwards. Raising his head to see that the rifles were in
position, the startled hunter received the soft,