Page 61 - Adventures in Africa

but we went on and on, and I began to fear that we
had already passed our camp. 1 expressed my ap­
prehensions to my uncle.

f< No ! ” he answered* te we are all right. W e shall
see the fire in a short time, unless Jan has let it out,
wliieh is not likely/'

“ But perhaps a lion may have carried him off, and
killed our ox also, and we shall then be in a sad

plight/’ I remarked.
“ Nonsense, Fred 1 ” he answered; “ you are over­
tired with your long walk, and allow gloomy appre

hensions to oppress you. I wish that I had not
brought you so far/’
After this I said no more, but exerted myself to the

utmost; though I could scarcely drag one foot after
the other, and had it become necessary to run for our
lives, I do not think I could have moved, I looked

about, now on one side now on the other, and fancied
that I could see the vast heads and shaggy manes of
huge lions watching us from among the trees. I did

not fear their roars as long as they were at a distance.
At length I heard what I took to be the mutterings ot
half-a-dozen, at least, close to us* I shouted louder

than ever, to try and drive them off. As soon as I
stopped shouting I listened for my uncle’s voice,

dreading lest one of the brutes should have seized
him. I could not stop to look round, and I was most
thankful when 1 again heard him shout—

“ Go on, Fred; go on, my boy. W e shall see JanJs
camp-fire before long. I don't believe there's a lion
within half a mile of us. During the night Ave hear

their voices a long distance off."