"Curse you for a fool, son of Mopo," said one of the men with me to Umslopogaas; "presently I will beat you till the blood comes for this trick."
"First beat the lions, then beat me if you can," answered the lad, "and wait to curse till you have done both."
Now the lions were close to us; they came to the body of the second cub, that lay outside the fence of thorns. The lion stopped and sniffed it. Then he roared—ah! he roared till the earth shook. As for the lioness, she dropped the dead cub which she was carrying, and took the other into her mouth, for she could not carry both.
"Get behind me, Nada," cried Umslopogaas, brandishing his spear, "the lion is about to spring."
As the words left his mouth the great brute crouched to the ground. Then suddenly he sprang from it like a bird,
