ould not have been long asleep, the fire was burning
brilliantly, and every one was on the alert.

"Yes, I seemed to hear it myself in my sleep," said Mr Rogers, in
answer to some words spoken by Dick. "Did it sound near?"

"Sure, sor, it was close by, and I thought the bastes had got one of the
bullocks."

The Zulu was with them now, having sprung from his place beneath the
waggon, asking eagerly what was wrong.

"They heard a lion prowling round," replied Mr Rogers.

"No, no," said the Zulu. "No lion here."

"But I heard it quite plainly," said Dick, who felt angry at being
doubted.

"Sure and I did too, so close to me shoulder that I could feel the
baste's breath blow over on to me chake."

"No, no," said the Zulu. "Look! see!"

He pointed towards the oxen and horses in turn.

"But it would be impossible to see it in this darkness," said Mr
Rogers.

"Yes, but the oxen," said the Zulu. "They would not lie quiet if there
was a lion."

"Of course not," said Mr Rogers, envying the savage his knowledge.
"Then what caused the alarm?"

There was no reply; and after satisfying themselves that all was safe,
and piling up the rest of the wood upon the fire--for the streaks of the
coming dawn could be seen--the tired watchers returned to the waggon,
and slept until roused for breakfast, when the secret of the alarm came
out, Coffee having been afraid to confess at the time that he knew it
was his brother imitating the lion's cry in his sleep, his proximity to
Dick and Dinny making it seem the more real. Feeling sure that he would
be punished if he spoke, Coffee had remained silent, and so the matter
ended, Dick laughing heartily at the false alarm, though Dinny would not
believe that the cry emanated from the boy.

"Jist as if I was such a biby as to belave that story, Masther Jack," he
said. "I tell ye it was the lion himself attacking the bastes, and
you'll see he'll be about the camp now every night, as regular as
clockwork. It's very good of the masther to try and put one at his aise
about the wild bastes; but that there was a lion--I know it was; and if,
Masther Jack, dear, I'm missing some night, ye may know that there's a
lion aiting of me; and I hope ye'll take me bones back and give me a
dacent burying somewhere among Christians, and not lave them kicking
about out here in a foreign land."

"But how can you be so stupid, Dinny? Father says it was Chicory, and
you know how he imitates the wil