head! This must be--yes, I remember; I am in the waggon--here, Dean!
Dean!" And he began shaking his cousin again.

"Don't! Don't!" And there was the sound of the boy's bare feet
kicking, and a snatch made as if to draw back the blankets that had been
sent flying. "Oh, I will serve you out for--here, what do you want?"

"You to wake up. Can't you see how dark it is?"

"Dark?"

"Yes; quite black."

Dean was wide awake now.

"Yes, everything's as black as black."

"Well, did you expect it to be white?"

"Can't you hear that dreadful noise?"

"Yes. What is it? Oh, I am so sleepy! Uncle snoring."

"There it is again!" cried Mark wildly.

"Well, I don't care," cried Dean angrily, and he dragged his blankets
over his head. "Hullo! I say! There's something the matter;" and the
boy now rose to his knees. "Here, where are the guns?"

"I don't know. Yes, I do," cried Mark, feeling about. "I have got
one--yes--here's yours. Let's get to the door."

"No, stop. Listen!" and Dean caught his cousin by the arm. "It's a
lion. I'm sure of it."

"So am I," cried Mark--"a dozen of them. Oh, Dean, Dean! Hark at the
poor bullocks! They are pulling them down, and they'll be killing those
ponies. Here, let go."

"What are you going to do?"

"Going outside to shoot."

"No, no; don't do that, or we shall have them springing in here."

"But--"

"There, you needn't go now. There's somebody else shooting." For a
couple of reports came from somewhere in the direction of where the fire
kept burning, and then another, followed by a confused noise of
bellowing oxen, trampling feet, and the deep-toned, barking roar of a
lion, which dominated everything else.

"Here, Mark," cried Dean in a hoarse whisper, clinging to his cousin now
tightly, "we are attacked by lions."

"Seems like it," was the reply. "Where are father and the doctor?"

"I don't know. I would say let's shout, only it would be like asking
the savage animals to come."

"But we must do something. Are you loaded?" And as Mark spoke there
was the sound of his raising the cocks of his piece.

"No. My hand shakes so. That's better. I could hardly do it. I say,
don't you feel frightened, Mark?"

"Horribly. But look sharp. Are you ready? Let's jump out together,
and then fire."

"All right. Ready now. I wish I didn't feel in such a shiver. Here,
I'm ready. Perhaps it will scare the brutes."

"Hope so," said Mark, as he d