d! It is Arend's horse! Where is he?"

Spoor'em had now advanced to within fifteen paces of where the lion lay,
and commenced baying a menace; as if commanding the lion to forsake his
unfinished repast. An angry growl was all the answer Spoor'em could
obtain; and the lion lay still.

"We must either kill or drive him away," said Willem. "Which shall we
try?"

"Kill him," answered Hendrik; "that will be our safest plan."

Stealing out of their saddles, Willem and Hendrik gave their horses in
charge to the Kaffir, and then proceeded to stalk. With their guns at
full cock they advanced side by side, Spoor'em sneaking along at their
heels.

They stole up within five paces of the lion, which still held its
ground. The only respect it showed to their presence was to leave off
feeding and crouch over the body of the horse, as though preparing to
spring upon them.

"Now," whispered Hendrik, "shall we fire?"

"Yes, yes!--now!"

Both pulled trigger at the same time, the two shots making but one
report.

Instinctively each threw himself from the direct line of the creature's
deadly leap. This was done at the moment of firing; and the lion,
uttering a terrific roar, launched itself towards them, and fell heavily
between the two, having leaped a distance of full twenty feet. That
effort was its last, for it was unable to rise again.

Without taking the trouble to ascertain whether the fierce brute had
been killed outright, they turned their attention to the carcass.

The horse was Arend's, but there was not the slightest trace of the
rider. Whatever had been his fate, there was no sign of his having been
killed along with his horse. There was still a hope that he had made
his escape, though the finding of the horse only added to their
apprehensions.

"Let us find out," counselled Hendrik, "whether the horse was killed
where it is now lying, or whether it has been dragged hither by the
lion."

After examining the ground, Congo declared that the horse had been
killed upon the spot, and by the lion.

This was strange enough.

On a further examination of the sign, it was found that one of the
horse's legs was entangled in the rein of the bridle. This explained
the circumstance to some extent, otherwise it would have been difficult
to understand how so swift an animal as a horse should have allowed
itself to be overtaken upon an open plain.

"So much the better," said Groot Willem. "Arend never reached t