here," murmured Mr. Haydon calmly. "Let's see if
they're dangerous."

He struck a match and applied it to the great bundle of dried grass
which he had collected. The flame ran through it at once, and it
flared up strongly. Jack thrust a stick into the blaze, and they now
had ample light to see around them.

They found themselves in a large, low room, whose floor was littered
with bones and the remains of animals dragged there for food. They
darted glances on every side to discover what kind of beast it was
whose lair they had entered. But for a moment they saw nothing. There
was a movement in a bed of dried reeds in one corner, and presently
they saw two pretty little creatures, having the appearance of big
cats, bound out and begin to yowl plaintively. At sight of them the
native woman gave a shrill scream of terror.

"Tiger cubs!" snapped Mr. Haydon.

He glanced quickly around the place, but there was no sign of any
other living creature there save the two cubs, which now began to
frisk about the light.

"Lucky for us Mrs. Stripes isn't at home," said Jack, "or it would
have been a case of out of the frying-pan into the fire."

"It would," agreed his father. "But it isn't long since she was here,"
he added. "Here's a fresh kill."

He pointed to a small buck lying almost at their feet. The blood was
still wet on the graceful creature's coat, and it was untorn save for
the rents made by the huge claws which had brought it down and dragged
it to the tiger's lair.

"If this is the only place available," said Mr. Haydon quietly, "we
shall have to creep out again. It isn't healthy to ask a tigress to go
halves in her den when she's rearing a family."

"We'll have a look round in any case," laughed Jack, and they crossed
swiftly to the other side of the place, holding their torches high, so
that a red, dancing light was cast before them.

"What's this?" cried Jack, who was a little ahead. "What's this?" He
was standing at the foot of a narrow flight of stone steps which ran
upwards and was soon lost to sight in the thickness of the wall.

"Up, up!" cried Mr. Haydon. "This is what I hoped for."

The little party climbed the narrow, winding stairs as fast as they
could go. Round and round in the wall the steps twisted, and then they
saw a dim light ahead, and came out into a second room, as large as
the one below. A broken door of teak hung loosely at the narrow
opening which led into the room, and Mr. Haydon pu