tree, and the anxious listeners in the tent heard him attempting to claw
it down.

Tom Brown was hastily revolving in his mind the best mode of killing or
scaring away this presumptuous visitor, when the lion, in its wanderings
round the tree, tripped over one of the lines of the tent, causing it to
vibrate. He uttered a growl of dissatisfaction, and seized the cord in
his teeth.

"Look out, Mafuta!" exclaimed Tom, as he observed the shadow of the
beast against the curtain.

He fired as he spoke.

A terrific roar followed, the canvas was instantly torn open, and the
whole tent fell in dire confusion on the top of its inmates.

Tom Brown did not move. He always acted on the principle of letting
well alone, and, feeling that he was unhurt, lay as still as a mouse,
but Mafuta uttered a wild yell, sprang through the rent canvas, and
bounded up the tree in violent haste. There he remained, and Tom lay
quietly under the tent for full ten minutes without moving, almost
without breathing, but as no sound was heard, our hero at last ventured
to raise his head. Then he got slowly upon his knees, and, gently
removing the incumbent folds of canvas, looked out. The sight that he
beheld was satisfactory. An enormous lion lay stretched out at the font
of the tree quite dead! His half random shot at the shadow had been
most successful, having passed right through the lion's heart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not long after this, Tom Brown reached the settlements, where he found
the major and Wilkins, who had quite recovered from the effects of their
excursion into the interior, and from whom he learned that a party had
been sent off in search of himself.

Thereafter he went to the Cape, where he joined his father in business.
He did not, however, give up hunting entirely, for he belonged to a
family which, as we have said elsewhere, is so sternly romantic and full
of animal life that many of its members are led to attempt and to
accomplish great things, both in the spiritual and physical worlds,
undamped by repeated rebuffs and failures. Moreover, he did _not_
forget his resolutions, or his Bible, after he got well; but we are
bound to add that he did forget his resolve never again to visit the
African wilderness, for if report speaks truth, he was seen there many a
time, in after years, with Mafuta, hunting the lions.

THE END.

End of the Project Gutenberg E