262 PEERING OUT INTO THE GLOOM. 



mother giraffe stood close to the side of her huge cage, her odd head groping along 

 the stakes, as though seeking some opening through which she might force her way 

 closer to her friends. 



The baboon shared the alarm, and, though he could not quite rid himselt of his 

 surliness, he looked as if he would have welcomed the opportunity to crowd a little 

 nearer to those who had used him so roughly but a short time before. 



Mr. Godkin asked Bob several sharp questions, to make sure that no point was 

 lost. He 5 too, was impatient, that Dick, of whose judgment he had formed such a 

 good opinion, should have forgotten himself in the excitement of the moment 



To him the inexcusable fact was that he had pushed out in the night, when he 

 must have had time to realize his mistake. But he was a philosopher, and he felt 

 that it was not the *ime to scold, so long as the youth was in danger. He would 

 settle with him when he came back provided he ever did come back. 



Now, you will readily understand the bad feature of this business: it lay in the 

 continued absence of Dick Brownell. 



If he were unharmed he could not have gone far, without awaking to the ab- 

 surdity of hunting for an object which it was impossible to locate. 



It occurred to his friends that he might have counted on the help of the light- 

 ning, which, fortunately, had told Bob Marshall of his danger from the crouching 

 lion, but, if such were the case, it was no credit to Dick's sagacity. 



It was that lion that threw his friends into their distressing misgiving. 



They reasoned that, since the absent lad had the ligth of the camp-fire to direct 

 his return, as did his cousin, he would have availed himself of that means, had he 

 been in a situation to do so. 



That the king of beasts was abroad that night was proven by the experience of 

 Bob Marshall. If he had come in collision with one of them, what more probable 

 than that Dick had been threatened by the same danger ? Since, too, the former 

 would have perished but for his Winchester, what was likely to be the fate of the 

 other, who was without any fire-arms except his revolver, which was almost useless 

 in such an emergency ? 



These were the grave questions asked by each of his friends who stood in the 

 light of the camp-fire, discussing the question whether it was in their power to do 

 anything to aid him. 



" I'd mount Apache, and ride all the way to the Congo to help that young tender- 

 foot out of a scrape," said the Texan, " and after I caught him, I would give him a 

 trouncing for playing such a trick." 



"There isn't anything that all of us would not try to do to benefit him," quietly 

 added the director, "but that isn't the question; it is whether we have the power to 

 extend him help." 



"Can't you think of something?" asked poor Bob, almost beside himselt with 

 grief; " I will die if I have to stay here idle." 



"You know how foolish it was for you to hope to find that canvas in the dark- 

 ness; it X3 ten times more hooeless for us to think of finding Dick." 



