the cracking of bones, rattling in powerful jaws. In the
depths glared the blue and red eyes of hyenas and jackals waiting for
their turn.

And thus the long hours of the night passed away.

IV

The sun finally rose and illuminated the jungle, groups of trees, and
the forest. The lions had disappeared before the first ray began to
gleam on the horizon. Stas commanded Kali to build a fire. Mea was
ordered to take Nell's clothes out of the leather bag in which they
were packed, to dry them, and to dress anew the little girl as soon as
possible; while Stas himself, taking his rifle, proceeded to visit the
camp and at the same time to view the devastation wrought by the storm
and the two midnight assassins.

Immediately beyond the zareba, of which only the pickets remained, lay
the first horse almost half devoured; about a hundred paces farther the
second, barely touched, and immediately behind him the third,
disemboweled, and with crushed head. All presented a horrible sight;
their eyes were open, full of settled terror, and their teeth were
bared. The ground was trampled upon; in the depressions were whole
puddles of blood. Stas was seized with such rage that at the moment he
almost wished that the shaggy head of a marauder, sluggish after the
nocturnal feast, would emerge from some cluster of trees that he might
put a bullet in him. But he had to postpone his revenge to a later time
for at present he had something else to do. It was necessary to find
and capture the remaining horses. The boy assumed that they must have
sought shelter in the forest, and that the same was true of Saba, whose
body was nowhere to be seen. The hope that the faithful companion in
misfortune had not fallen a victim to the predaceous beasts pleased
Stas so much that he gained more courage. His happiness was yet
augmented by the discovery of the donkey. It appeared that the
sagacious, long-eared creature did not wish to fatigue himself by a too
distant flight. He had ensconced himself outside of the zareba in a
corner formed by the white-ant hillock and the tree and there, having
his head and sides protected, had awaited developments, prepared in an
emergency to repel an attack by kicking heroically with his heels. But
the lions, apparently, did not perceive him at all, so when the sun
rose and danger passed away he deemed it proper to lie down and rest
after the dramatic sensations of the night.

Stas, strolling about the camp, finall