leaped
ahead to a ridge in the veldt, and motioned them that there was game on
the other side. Slipping from their horses, the boys stole up gun in
hand, to see a herd of at least fifty wildebeest and zebra grazing about
three hundred yards off. But before they could get up their guns, the
quick-eyed beasts were off like the wind and out of range in an instant.

"Pretty rotten," exclaimed Charlie disgustedly. "Say, they move like a
streak!"

"You bet. Well, there's lots more where they came from."

And there was. Half a mile farther on they came upon a dozen
kongoni--another form of antelope--feeding about some bushes. Happening
on a drift, or dry water-course, the boys and Guru crawled up this and
managed to get a shot. This time Charlie dropped a buck perfectly, but
Jack had to place a second bullet in his animal. The Masai took charge
of the bodies, tying the hoofs together, placing a long spear between,
and two men trotting off with each toward the wagons.

Guru declared that this was not half enough meat for them all, so
accompanied by the rest of the Masai, they rode on, just within sight of
the caravan. Suddenly an eland dashed out from a clump of bushes barely
a hundred yards off, not having heard their approach. Jack fired,
missed, fired again, and the eland gave one high spring and rolled heels
over head. But as he did so Bakari let out a yell, and they drew rein
suddenly at sight of a lion leaping toward them through the long grass,
plainly bent on mischief.

"We've roused him up, all right," exclaimed Charlie hastily, as he drew
bead. "I'll give him a chance to turn off."

But the lion, as they discovered later, had been disturbed at his
feeding, and came straight for them. The Masai showed no signs of
flinching, and the horses trembled but stood still. Anxiously Charlie
waited until the great beast had come within two hundred yards, flying
over the grass-hummocks in great bounds, then he drew trigger.

The lion went down, but was up again instantly with a roar of pain.
Charlie gave him another bullet, but with no better result. At a hundred
yards the Masai spread out, spears and arrows ready, but with his third
bullet Charlie dropped the huge beast for the last time, the ball
piercing the eye to the brain.

"Good shot, old man," cried Jack, as the other wiped the sweat from his
face. That had been an anxious moment.

"Had to hit him in the eye," returned Charlie. "Didn't see where else to
shoot,