“No, father,” replied Dick steadily. “You needn’t come. We only fired at a lion.”
But as they reached the fire again, a tall dark figure crawled to their side, and nodded to them gravely.
“Plenty of lion here. I stop and help you.”
It was the General, and glad enough the boys were of his company.
Almost before they had seated themselves they heard a sound on the right, and taking a burning stick from the fire the General whirled it in the direction, the wood blazing up in its rapid passage through the air, and falling amongst some dry grass, which it set on fire, to burn for a few moments vividly, and then leave the surroundings apparently darker than before.
As the burning brand fell in the forest there was an angry snarl, and these snarls were repeated again and again as from time to time the General skilfully threw the wood wherever his quick ears told him there was one of the lurking beasts.
“Is there more than one lion?” said Dick, in a whisper at last.
“Three, four, five,” said the General. “They want horse or bullock. Hist! look! see!”
He pointed to a dark patch at the edge of the forest, where, upon Dick directing his eyes, he could see nothing; but the next moment there was the reflection of the fire to be seen in a couple of glaring orbs.
“Can you shoot him?” said the General.