A TALE OF THREE LIONS
Page: 24

sitting there hour after hour, till at last Harry fell fast asleep,
and, though I am accustomed to this sort of thing, even I could
scarcely keep my eyes open. Indeed I was just dropping off, when
suddenly Pharaoh gave me a push.

"'/Listen!/' he whispered.

"I was awake in a second, and listening with all my ears. From the
clump of bush to the right of the lightning-shattered stump to which
the sick ox was tied came a faint crackling noise. Presently it was
repeated. Something was moving there, faintly and quietly enough, but
still moving perceptibly, for in the intense stillness of the night
any sound seemed loud.

"I woke up Harry, who instantly said, 'Where is she? where is she?'
and began to point his rifle about in a fashion that was more
dangerous to us and the oxen than to any possible lioness.

"'Be quiet!' I whispered, savagely; and as I did so, with a low and
hideous growl a flash of yellow light sped out of the clump of bush,
past the ox, and into the corresponding clump upon the other side. The
poor sick creature gave a sort of groan, staggered round and then
began to tremble. I could see it do so clearly in the moonlight, which
was now very bright, and I felt a brute for having exposed the
unfortunate animal to such agony as he must undoubtedly be undergoing.
The lioness, for it was she, passed so quickly that we could not even
distinguish her movements, much less fire. Indeed at night it is
absolutely useless to attempt to shoot unless the object is very close
and standing perfectly still, and then the light is so deceptive and
it is so difficult to see the foresight that the best shot will miss
more often than he hits.

"'She will be back again presently,' I said; 'look out, but for
Heaven's sake don't fire unless I tell you to.'

"Hardly were the words out of my mouth when back she came, and again
passed the ox without striking him.

"'What on earth is she doing?' whispered Harry.

"'Playing with it as a cat does with a mouse, I suppose. She will kill
it presently.'

"As I spoke, the lioness once more flashed out of the bush, and this
time sprang right over the doomed and trembling ox. It was a beautiful