A LION STORY 85 



traveller or hunter could desire. The branchless, pillar-like 

 trunks of the palms, enveloped in a mantle by the drooping 

 giant dead leaves about to be shed, whose monotonous brown 

 was here and there relieved by a bright winding creeper seeking 

 the sunlight above, and the green crown of leaves overhead, 

 interlacing with those of the neighbouring palms into a lovely 

 arched roof, so thick that only here and there a star could look 

 through this lit up by the reddish light of the brightly burning 

 camp fire had an almost theatrical effect, seen from the com- 

 parative darkness in which, at a little distance, G.'s hammock 

 was slung and my bed was placed. Round the larger fire lay 

 the camels, slowly chewing the cud, gravely meditating the 

 flames. Close to them slept the men on their only bed and 

 mattress a sheep or antelope skin while the goats and horses 

 were tied up close at hand. Between the main fire and our beds 

 was the kitchen, where the cook had curled himself up in his 

 blanket. Everything out of the immediate range of the light 

 was pitch dark, but the white sandy bed of the little stream a 

 few yards off was just visible. It was a gloomy camping-place 

 by day, but when lighted up by the ruddy glare of the fire it was 

 cheerful to look upon, especially from the comfortable folds of 

 more than one blanket, for it was cold and chilly at night, and 

 we were just beyond the warming influence of the burning logs. 

 While listening to the monotonous song of one of the men, 

 whose duty it was to remain awake and attend to the fire, and 

 while watching the light as it flickered among the leafy palm 

 tops, sleep overcame us at last, which even a restless mule, who 

 would munch and rattle among the dry leaves, could not 

 prevent. 



We had been asleep probably about two hours when a 

 horrible shriek suddenly aroused us from our slumbers, and 

 made us wide awake in a moment. There were cries of " Lion ! 

 lion ! " and everything was commotion in the darkness, for 

 sleep had overcome the minstrel watchman and the fires were 

 all but out. Naturally thinking if there was time for thought 

 at all that a lion had carried off one of the horses or goats, 

 I, suddenly started up into a sitting position in bed, had hardly 

 taken hold of my heavy rifle, which, loaded, always lay alongside 

 me at night, when G. said, " There he goes, in the bed of the 

 river ! " And there sure enough, just visible against the white 



