Niger

on the subject with the pain-racked Alexander.
But the barking came nearer, accompanied now
by growls. Suddenly, through an opening in the
bushes, Mungo saw three lions coming towards him.
He was beyond the starts and fears of that far-off
first expedition ten years before. He halted
Alexander’s horse, cocked his musket, and walked
forward towards the beasts. Within shot of them,
he fired at the centre one. The lions, unhurt,
looked one at the other, then at Mungo, and finally
turned tail, hesitatingly. As they disappeared into
the undergrowth Mungo reloaded his piece and
rejoined Alexander. Then they resumed their way.
The lions kept pace with them to the right for a
while, summoning up courage to charge. They were
evidently very hungry, and a twinge of uneasiness
came on Mungo that they might follow him until
dark fell, and then spring on him or his brother-
in-law when he could no longer see to fire. But he
shrugged aside the possibility and presently heard
no more of the lions. Doubtlessly they ranged back
into the evening and sated their hunger on the flesh
of some dying soldier from Goree.
Half the caravan that night failed to reach the
village they had planned, but wandered or slept
m the gullies of a range of hills. Mungo, himself
lost, lighted a fire and wrapped Alexander in his
cloak and laid him beside it. All night he watched
unsleeping, hearing the howls of the feasting lions
in the distance. Presently the dark began to
break, and he was aware of another morning come
G.X. 289
T