e knowledge thus gained now stood him in good stead.
He made a close examination and found that several buckshot had
grazed the small youth's temple, while one had gone through the tip
of the ear. Giant's face was covered with blood, and this was
washed off, and then his wounds were bathed with witch hazel and
bound up.

"You had a narrow escape," was the comment of the doctor's son. "A
little closer and you might have been killed, or might have lost
your eyesight."

"That fellow with the gun was mighty careless," said Whopper.

"He was excited," added Snap. "He didn't want to hit Giant."

Snap said nothing about his hurt shoulder, although the bump he had
received made him stiff and sore. He was thankful that the
honeysuckle vine had broken the fall from the piazza roof, and that
he and Giant had escaped from the clutches of the lion.

The hunters of the animal had gone past the house, and now those
inside heard firing in the distance. The shots gradually grew
fainter and fainter, at last dying out altogether.

"I guess his lionship has left town," said Shep.

"Or else he is dead," added Snap.

Mrs. Carson was much worried over the wounds Giant had received and
insisted upon putting on them some salve. The boy declared he felt
all right again and that the wounds would soon heal.

"I'm used to little things like that," he said. "When we went
hunting we had all sorts of things happen to us."

"Mercy on us! Then you ought never to go hunting again!" declared
the lady of the house.

"It was a narrow escape," said Snap gravely. "You can be thankful
that man didn't blow your head off.

"I am thankful, Snap; and I am also thankful for what you did for
me," murmured Giant, and looked at his chum in a manner that spoke
volumes.

It was now too late to think of going to Fairview, for the last
train had already departed. And as it was, Mrs. Carson insisted
upon it that the boys remain all night.

"If you leave the house I'll be worried to death, thinking the lion
caught you," she said.

So the boys stayed over another night. Late in the evening they
stopped two men who were passing the house and from them learned
that the lion had been chased to the edge of a big woods north of
Railings. He had been wounded, of that the men were certain, and
a regular hunting party was going out in the morning to either kill
or capture the beast.

"The circus owner has offered a hundred dollars reward for his
cap