into
camp with a face that was pea-green from terror.

"Ach!" he gasped, "a lion! queek! your guns!" Every one leaped up and
seized his weapon with marvellous alacrity on receiving an alarm so
violent and unlooked-for.

"Where away?" inquired Disco, blazing with excitement, and ready at a
moment's notice to rush into the jungle and fire both barrels at
whatever should present itself.

"No, no, don' go," cried Antonio in alarm; "be cautionous."

The interpreter's caution was enforced by Chimbolo, who laid his hand on
Disco's arm, and looked at him with such solemnity that he felt it
necessary to restrain his ardour.

Meanwhile Antonio with trembling steps led Harold to a point in the
thicket whence he beheld two bright phosphoric-looking objects which his
companion said were the lion's eyes, adding that lion's eyes always
shone in that way.

Harold threw forward his rifle with the intention of taking aim, but
lowered it quickly, for he felt convinced that no lion could possibly
have eyes so wide apart unless its head were as large as that of an
elephant.

"Nonsense, Antonio!" he said, laughing; "that cannot be a lion."

"Ho, yis, him's a lion, for sure," Antonio returned, positively.

"We shall see."

Harold raised his rifle and fired, while Antonio turned and fled, fully
expecting the wounded beast to spring. Harold himself half looked for
some such act, and shrank behind a bush by way of precaution, but when
the smoke cleared away, he saw that the two glowing eyes were gazing at
him as fixedly as ever.

"Pooh!" exclaimed Disco, brushing past; "I knows wot it is. Many a time
I've seed 'em in the West Injies."

Saying which, he went straight up to the supposed lion, picked up a
couple of glow-worms, and brought them to the camp-fires, much to the
amusement of the men, especially of Jumbo, and greatly to the confusion
of the valorous interpreter, who, according to his invariable custom
when danger threatened, was found to have sought refuge in a tree.

This incident furnished ground for much discussion and merriment during
supper, in which Antonio, being in no wise ashamed of himself, joined
noisily; and Chimbolo took occasion to reprove Disco for his rashness,
telling him that it was impossible to kill lions in the jungle during
the darkness of night, and that, if they did pay them a visit, it would
be wise to let them be, and trust to the camp-fires keeping them at a
respectful distance. To which D