ddle-bags to hold their provisions
and ammunition. If so, they could render us, even if we should fall in
with them, but little assistance. These thoughts passed through my mind
as we proceeded, while I formed a variety of plans, to be carried out
according to any emergency which might arise. As the moon was bright, I
had no fear of an attack from wild beasts.

We had gone on for about three hours, when Mango stopped. "See, massa,
see!" he exclaimed. I looked ahead, and observed a ruddy glow in the
sky. The ox at the same time poked out his head, as if he also saw
something that interested him. Presently the light increased, and I
could distinctly make out fires burning in the distance. "If those are
campfires, they must have been lighted by a somewhat large party," I
observed. The further we advanced, the more distinct did the fires
become. We proceeded eagerly. At length, to my surprise, the ox seemed
unwilling to move on. In spite of Mango's coaxing voice, it proceeded
more and more slowly. At length I could distinguish not only the fires,
but objects moving about; a waggon and numerous oxen tethered near, and
horses and men, gradually came in sight. Then the barking of dogs
reached our ears. This made me still more surprised at the
unwillingness of the ox to proceed. Then I distinguished some water, on
which the light of the fire was reflected. Between us and it, however,
several dark objects appeared. In vain Mango now tried to urge on the
ox. He stopped altogether. "Ah, massa, look dere!" he exclaimed in a
terrified tone. He had cause for alarm. The fires just then blazing up
more completely, exhibited the dark outlines of several lions and other
creatures, which I took to be hyenas, standing on our side of the
stream, watching the camp, while the dogs we had heard ran backwards and
forwards, barking at them from the opposite side. My fear now was that
the savage brutes might turn and attack us. Even if they did not do so,
it might take us some time to find a ford and get round to the camp,
unless we could make the travellers hear us and come to our assistance.
Mango and I shouted again and again with all our might. Though our
friends might not have heard our voices, the wild beasts did, for
suddenly turning round, the whole pack, with angry roars, came bounding
towards us.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

DOINGS AT THE CAMP.

It was a nervous thing to stand in front of a dozen or more lion