o meet his rush, dropping her cub, and nearly
tearing the miserable cur's head from his shoulders with a single stroke
of her powerful fore paw. At the same instant Grosvenor's bullet, aimed
at her head, crashed into her flank, passing right through it and
utterly paralysing her hind quarters. With a whining, snarling roar the
poor beast rolled over on her side, but instantly recovered herself so
far as to raise herself on her fore legs--between which the cub, but a
trifle bigger than a well-grown cat, took refuge--her jaws champing and
foaming, and her eyes blazing lightnings at the dogs, which, recognising
her helplessness, closed in round her.

"Save the cub!" shouted Dick; "don't let the dogs worry it; I want to
keep the little beast alive." And, leaving his position, he hurried
forward, regardless of danger, to beat off the dogs. Grosvenor and
Jantje also rushed forward at his shouts, and were quickly joined by
Mafuta, who seemed to divine what Dick required. Dashing fearlessly in
among the snarling and snapping dogs, the Kafir and the Hottentot at
length succeeded in beating them off, upon which Grosvenor stepped close
up to the lioness and gave her the _coup de grace_ by sending a bullet
through her brain. As she rolled over dead, Mafuta sprang in and
grabbed the cub by the skin of the neck, despite the fact that it
snarled and spat like an angry cat and struck out viciously with its
claws, which were already strong enough to inflict quite a painful
scratch, and carried it off to the wagon, tying it to a wheel by a stout
reim.

Having ensured the safety of the cub, Dick, carrying his own and the
spare rifle which he had snatched from Mafuta, hurried back to the point
which he had so hurriedly deserted; for the commotion in the heart of
the bush clearly evidenced the fact that the remaining members of the
troop of lions still clung to cover, and that the beaters and dogs were
doing their utmost to dislodge them. Laying the spare rifle at his
feet, Dick stood facing the great clump, with the rifle in his hand at
the ready, prepared for any emergency. The noise and confusion,
however, seemed to indicate that the next event would occur in the area
under Grosvenor's jurisdiction, and, sure enough, about a minute later
another lion and lioness broke cover together, followed by the remainder
of the dogs. The noble beasts, both of which were apparently young
animals, and but barely full-grown, evidently intende