234 
THE LION. 
the travellers feel tolerably safe for the rest 
of the night, knowing that he will not exert 
himself to kill more than he wants for the 
time-being. The watch is changed, the 
travellers retire to their wagons, and all is 
quiet once more.” 
Sidney looked rather disappointed. “ I 
thought you meant to make the lions attack 
the travellers.” 
“ So I can if I please, for that is an event 
which very often happens; hut, instead of 
drawing upon my imagination and my ge¬ 
neral recollection, I will read you a true 
story, told by a celebrated African traveller, 
Mr. Gordon Cumming. They had been a 
long time upon the road, and had encamped, 
much as our travellers have done. 
“ ‘ All had retired to rest,’ says Mr. Cum¬ 
ming, ‘when suddenly the appalling and 
murderous roar of an angry and blood¬ 
thirsty lion burst upon my ear within a few 
yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the 
Hottentots. Again and again the murder¬ 
ous roar of attack was repeated. We heard 
John and Ruyter shout, “ The lion! the 
lion !” Still, for a moment we thought he 
was only chasing one of the dogs round 
