Year: 1859

land and make the best of it. Our only
weapons were two knives and Lari's
spear. The latter he had grasped as he
started from the boat, but the rifles and
pistols were at the bottom of the lake.
I bade my companion to take the lead,
and he did SO.


For three hours we tugged on thro' a
thick matted forest, and at the end of that
time we reached the edge of wide ex-
panse of rocky desert. There were
clumps of bushes scattered over the place,
but they looked dry and parched. Here
we took an observation, and finally decid-
ed to keep down upon the right hand side
of the rocky plain, knowing that the
lake must lie in that direction. BY the
time we had passed over half the length
of the barren waste the sun was behind
the trees. A little while afterwards, Just
as the dark shadows spread over the
whole width of the plain, Lari uttered a
low hist and placed his hand upon my
arm.


"Do you hear anything?' he asked
me.


60 / listened moment and told him,
Yes; perhaps they are coming after
u.s.


" Who are they? P he said.


Our party I answered.


{" That fellow walks on four feet, and
has weight equal to all themen we have
left behind. Hark again"


i did SO, and could now plainly dis
tinguish the tread of some heavy ami
NAL.


is it a lion, do you think p ask
ed.


Lari hesitated a moment, and then,
grasping me by the arm, he pointed into
|, the wood.


Look See There ? he cried,
whirling me half around as he spoke.


Il did look-and saw sight-a sight
that made my hair start and my heart
leap. Not a rife mot even pistol
and yet there twenty yards distant
was huge Nubian lion crawling to-
ward US. I could see his eyes burn I
could see his long tail sweep the grass
and could see that he was advancing for
spring. He's hungry said the NJ
bian, or he wouldn't be coming on in
that way


'' Then he'll attack US ? I suggest
ed.


'Of course he will
, /" And not weapon for defenseP


&C have my spear,' returned Lari.-
Now to the back of those bushes-quick
and let him come. Have your knife


out in case of need


hardly knew what my companion
meant, but l saw, just upon our left, {
! clump of bushes bearing a small ret
4 berry. They were not over four fee


high, and occupied a space some eigh
. feet long by four wide. When we hac
p gained position behind them, looket
n for the lion. He had stopped as he sav
us take this covert, but we were not hid
. den from his sight, as there were open
= ings in the foliage through which bot
- parties could obtain a view of eac
- other.


n "We are gone ? said I, tremblin
-e with fear, as saw the huge monster SET
At tie upon his belly and move toward us.


perhaps not whispered Lari, with
4 out taking his eye from the lion. Kee
II still-don't move, for your life p
n 60 But what can you do with that spea
n I asked p


Perhaps nothing-but wait and see


I did wait, but though it was only
t. few moments, yet it was season of tel


rible suspense to me. ] am not coward
lis nor was / ever one but come to be S
ID tuated as / was then, with full grow
ly lion before you, not twenty yards off, an
ly only little patch of bushes as an app
an logy for a shelter, through which th
in beast could watch yeur every movemen
is and with that unearthly purring, roarin
lat growl, hardly perceptible in tone, bl
ke making the air tremble with its intensit
of have all this, as l had it then, and
H. you don't tremble, then you are made
ce sterner stuff than most men.
nd 'Once cast my eyes upon Lari, wi
I'm was at my right, and l saw that he WI
| 1 as calm as a rock. His great brown ey
OIL was fixed upon the lion with burnir
% gaze, and his teeth were set like the jav
he of vice. He was upon his right kne


with his left foot braced before him, al
ad his long spear, which he held with fir
I'm grasp, had the end of the shaft set again
.