t.

Naturally, being a naval officer and consequently in the best society
of the federation, I have seen much of women. With others, I have
laughed at the assertions of the savants that modern man is a cold and
passionless creation in comparison with the males of former ages--in a
word, that love, as the one grand passion, had ceased to exist.

I do not know, now, but that they were more nearly right than we have
guessed, at least in so far as modern civilized woman is concerned. I
have kissed many women--young and beautiful and middle aged and old,
and many that I had no business kissing--but never before had I
experienced that remarkable and altogether delightful thrill that
followed the accidental brushing of my lips against the lips of Victory.

The occurrence interested me, and I was tempted to experiment further.
But when I would have essayed it another new and entirely unaccountable
force restrained me. For the first time in my life I felt
embarrassment in the presence of a woman.

What further might have developed I cannot say, for at that moment a
perfect she-devil of a lioness, with keener eyes than her lord and
master, discovered us. She came trotting toward our place of
concealment, growling and baring her yellow fangs.

I waited for an instant, hoping that I might be mistaken, and that she
would turn off in some other direction. But no--she increased her trot
to a gallop, and then I fired at her, but the bullet, though it struck
her full in the breast, didn't stop her.

Screaming with pain and rage, the creature fairly flew toward us.
Behind her came other lions. Our case looked hopeless. We were upon
the brink of the river. There seemed no avenue of escape, and I knew
that even my modern automatic rifle was inadequate in the face of so
many of these fierce beasts.

To remain where we were would have been suicidal. We were both
standing now, Victory keeping her place bravely at my side, when I
reached the only decision open to me.

Seizing the girl's hand, I turned, just as the lioness crashed into the
opposite side of the bushes, and, dragging Victory after me, leaped
over the edge of the bank into the river.

I did not know that lions are not fond of water, nor did I know if
Victory could swim, but death, immediate and terrible, stared us in the
face if we remained, and so I took the chance.

At this point the current ran close to the shore, so that we were
immediately in deep water,