Had Gerald foreseen in what way his solitude would be broken in upon, he would have hesitated to express such a wish.
Ten minutes later he heard a terrible roar, and, looking up quickly, turned pale with dismay, as he noted the approach of a huge lion advancing toward him at terrific speed.
He had never heard that lions were to be found in Montana, and his surprise was almost as great as his terror.
CHAPTER XXIX
NERO
There was no time or inclination on his part to speculate upon such an extraordinary appearance. He felt that his life was in peril, and he must consider at once whether there was any chance of his saving it.
He was armed with a rifle, which thus far he had had no occasion to use. He was not unskilled in the use of firearms, and luckily the rifle was loaded. To use it seemed to be his one chance of safety.
When his horse espied the lion he seemed almost paralyzed with terror. If the lion had no other claim to be called king of beasts, the terror which he inspires in all other animals might be taken for a strong evidence of his royal supremacy. The horse stood stock still, and it seemed to Gerald that he would remain so till the lion came up. This being the case, he thought it best to slip off the horse's back and jump to the ground. It was this act of his, perhaps, that startled the horse into life and motion. At any rate he set out on a wild run, attaining a pace probably unprecedented in his history. The animal could not have rendered his rider a better service. Hitherto the lion's attention had been divided between the horse and the boy. Now that he saw the horse in rapid flight, the hunting instinct came to him. More than one have testified that when they saw a person or animal running they were seized with an impulse to follow. This was the case with the lion. Apparently he did not notice Gerald, but, swerving from his course, set out in pursuit of the horse.
When Gerald noted the fortunate turn that matters had taken, he breathed a sigh of deep-felt relief. But his relief was only temporary. It might not be long before the lion would overtake and kill the horse. Then, inflamed by the sight of blood, he would probably turn back and pursue the rider.
What could Gerald do?