brute, who, seeing himself thus challenged, turned, and releasing his hold on the neck of his victim, he placed one of his paws upon the chest, and crouched upon the ground, facing and glaring upon his unexpected adversary. At this moment Nero sprang toward him and barked loudly; this diverted his attention, and the lion turned his shaggy head toward the dog. Profiting by the opportunity, Ned took a steady aim at the temple, a little in front of the ear, and fired.

At the report of the gun the lion rolled over upon his back, and convulsively stretched out his prodigious paws, which trembled in the palsy of death, as the ball had passed through his brain. Hardly had the smoke cleared when Nero rushed in and seized the lion by his hairy throat, which he shook and tore in desperate fury, at the same time he received a deep scratch from one of the claws that contracted in the death struggle.

At the report of the gun the natives had rushed back in terror, but now that they witnessed its effect they crowded around Ned, and taking his hand they kissed the palm and embraced him after their fashion, by raising both his hands three times above his head. The ferocious-looking negro, who was their chief, also drew near in the ecstasy of the moment, and throwing up his arms, he shouted an address of admiration, which was succeeded by a loud yell of praise from all present. The dead body of the negro who had been killed was then drawn upon one side, and left for the beasts of prey that would devour it during the night, while with exciting shouts of victory the negroes dragged the lion through the forest, and laid it by the night fire that was brightly blazing at the place of bivouac.

It appeared that the chief and the deceased negro were returning from their search after yams, when the lion suddenly sprang upon them from the thick jungle, and seizing

the man by the throat, he quickly strangled him. The chief had thrown his spear without effect, as it had glanced from the stem of a tree; he had then shouted for help; which had been so quickly and courageously given by Ned.

For several hours after the moon rose the conversation continued upon the recent event, and there was a general feeling of astonishment and admiration at Ned's courage and the power of the gun. Nero also shared in the praise, as the negroes were delighted that the dog had flown so directly at the lion's throat when the fatal shot was fired. While the exciting topic was discussed by the blazing fires the heroes of the night, Ned, Tim, and Nero, were stretched upon some dry grass fast asleep, tired out with the long day's march; they had gone supperless to rest, as sleep was more desired than food; in the mean time the natives, having carefully skinned their late enemy, made use of Tim's cooking-pot, and feasted on the lion.

FOR

CHAPTER XV.

OR several weeks following the recent event Ned's captors led him by long and constant marches toward the west, but since his gallant behavior in the encounter with the lion, he had been kindly treated; both he and Tim were allowed to march free, and, moreover, they were permitted to carry their arms, which were useless to the natives. Hardly a day had passed without a supply of meat, as the country abounded with game, and Ned had killed many large antelopes and buffaloes that had fed the entire party. Thus upon Tim's proverb, "Fill de nigger's belly make de nigger frens," an alliance was established between the captors and their prisoners that was exceedingly favorable to the latter.

After a march of three weeks, during which Ned calculated that they had travelled 320 miles due west, they arrived in an elevated country, where the temperature was much cooler than any to which they had been accustomed. For several days they continued to ascend immense slopes of waving grass lands, interspersed with clumps of mimosas, whose dark green tops were an attraction for large herds of beautiful giraffes; it was the first time that Ned had seen these stately animals, and as he sat upon a high rock during a halt upon the march he looked down with admiration on the beautiful country before him. As far as the eye could reach were undulating plains ornamented with trees, while lofty mountains formed a dark blue chain in the distance, and abrupt rocky hills rising here and there