HIS HORSE STOPPED ON SEEING THE LION
He turned his eyes toward the distant town. Probably it was only three miles away, but it might almost as well have been three hundred. Yet to reach it was his only hope of safety.
He turned and ran toward the town as fast as his legs could carry him. He soon became scant of breath. The high elevation helped to make him so. Probably the excitement, too, had its effect.
He had no means of knowing whether the lion had caught up with his intended victim. Gerald fervently hoped not. The longer the horse could hold out, the more time he had to get away. He hardly dared to look, for he felt that even this might take time and so delay him.
He did look up, however, and, to his infinite relief, he discovered that a horseman was speeding toward him from the town.
He stood still and waited.
The man stopped his horse when he saw Gerald, and asked: "Boy, have you seen a lion hereabouts?"
The speaker had long hair, and wore a large sombrero, after the fashion of Buffalo Bill.
"Yes," answered Gerald, as soon as he could get his breath. "I am running away from him."