CHAPTER XXI
Two Ferocious Specimens
"What do you mean by that remark, Mr. Lewis?" asked Bob wonderingly."Why won't the lion eat all he wants?"
"Simply that he won't live long enough," was the answer.
"What? You mean we're going to shoot him?" persisted Bob.
"Exactly," Joe's father said. "We'll build a _boma_--that's a thornenclosure--and hide behind it. Then when the lion comes to devour thiscarcass we'll pot him off. Howard and I would like especially to havea good lion skin, and this seems to be a wonderful opportunity. Ofcourse, the museum wants several, but whether they get that many we'llhave to wait and see."
Under the naturalists' directions they set about constructing thethorn enclosure. They built this but a short distance from the kill,so as to get a good view of the lion when and if the latter shouldreturn. The task was completed just before dusk.
A cold supper was served, so as to prevent the possibility of a firefrightening the lion if it should be in that vicinity. Then, risingfrom the meal, the explorers made their way to the _boma_.
"You know," began Mr. Holton uneasily, "I feel a little ashamed tohunt that animal this way. This sort of thing is generally consideredunsportsmanlike."
"True," Joe's father said at once. "But still, chances like this don'tcome often. And when at very infrequent intervals they do come, I'm infavor of taking advantage of them."
As the darkness closed in on them, Bob held his rifle tighter, Joefocused the movie camera. Mr. Lewis and Mr. Holton, too, waitedbreathlessly.
Soon a majestic moon rose over the vast wilderness, making it almostas light as day. The rustling of the wind gave way to a chorus of wildanimal screams.
Suddenly Bob and Joe heard something that struck terror to theirhearts. It was the most hideous sound they had ever listened to.
"Wh-what was that?" demanded Joe breathlessly.
"Only a hyena," returned his father. "That's what they call thelaughing of the hyena. It isn't often that one can hear it."
Mr. Lewis pointed to something not five feet away.
There, making its way slowly toward the carcass, was a large jackal,which was soon joined by three others. They were moving stealthily, asthough undecided whether to sample the dead wildebeest.
"Look," whispered Bob. "There are two hyenas. They're going to riskeating, I guess."
The jackals and hyenas formed a circle about the carcass and began totear away at the flesh. Near as they were to the _boma_, they couldeasily have been shot by the hunters.
"If the lion doesn't hurry there won't be anything left for him,"whispered Bob.
"Maybe he's forgotten all about coming," suggested Joe, who wasfilming the scene.
Mr. Holton shook his head.
"He'll be here," the naturalist said. "Just taking his time, that'sall."
As the minutes wore on, the waiting hunters were becoming moreimpatient. They twisted about uneasily, hoping that before longsomething would happen. Then it did.
"Listen!" hissed Mr. Holton. "Something's coming this way. Hear it?"
"What is it?" inquired Joe.
Before anyone could attempt to answer, there came a terrible growl,and the next moment a huge lion broke through the foliage of thenear-by jungle. It rushed angrily at the circle of jackals and hyenas.
The latter saw it coming and at once took flight, all escaping but onebig hyena.
With a tremendous blow of one of its huge claws, the lion broke thehyena's back and sent it rolling over the ground. With a convulsivetwitch it straightened out, dead.
The breathless hunters had watched the tragedy with a terriblefascination, keeping on the alert for any emergency. All knew therewas a possibility that the lion might catch their scent, even thoughthere was little or no wind. It was this that made the naturalists andBob tighten their grips on their rifles.
With a deep, vibrating roar that seemed to roll along the ground, thelion looked around defiantly. Then, apparently satisfied that nothingwas near to disturb him, he bent his efforts toward eating thecarcass.
"Get ready," said Mr. Holton in a very low whisper, throwing his gunto his shoulder. "When I give the word, fire."
Bob aimed carefully at the beast's heart; Joe cranked away at themovie camera.
"Fire!" said Mr. Holton in a loud voice.
Three rifle shots rent the air. The lion turned on the instant, thencollapsed in a heap.
"Hurrah!" yelled Joe, jumping to his feet. "Killed him dead as a doornail. Good----"
"Look out!" shouted Mr. Lewis suddenly. "There's another. A lioness!"
Bob worked furiously to push the bolt on his rifle. But before he haddone so, the guns of his father and Mr. Lewis spoke.
The bullets stopped the brute for only a second. Then, with a horribleroar, it plunged toward the _boma_. Before the two naturalists couldagain aim and fire, it would be upon them!
Then, when things hung in the balance, Bob pulled the trigger.
There was a convulsive leap as the lioness groaned out her lastbreath. She fell to the ground with a dull thud and lay still.
"Good work," commented Joe. "That bullet of yours came in just at theright time."
"It certainly did," put in Mr. Lewis. "Of course, Howard and I mighthave gotten her, but then again, we might not."
As an added precaution, the naturalists put another bullet into eachof the lions. After waiting a few moments for any more of the bigbeasts to appear, they went out to examine the ones they had killed.
"Whoppers, all right," remarked Joe. "This big one here must be atleast nine feet long from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail."
"Both are unusually fine specimens," declared Mr. Lewis, as he removedhis long hunting knife.
The Americans were soon joined by Noko and several of the bearers, whowere attracted to the scene by the rifle shots.
Noko uttered a cry of surprise at the sight of the beasts.
"Um big _simba_," he said, his eyes on the dead lions. "Dey bad_simba_. Um very bad."
"Bad's the right word for it," said Joe gravely. "They wouldn't haveleft a grease spot of us if given the chance. But they'll not causeany trouble now."
It required a long while for the scientists to complete the task ofskinning the lions, but at last they finished and moved back to camp.
The whites received much praise from the bearers, who recognized atonce that the brutes had been unusually dangerous. The blacks' respectfor the hunters appeared to be increased greatly. For anyone who couldbring down such vicious adversaries as these must be fearless anddaring.
The youths and their fathers did not remain up much longer. After thestrenuous day they were more than ready for a good rest.
"Sleep well," was the last Mr. Lewis said as he repaired to the tent.
But somehow Bob did not sleep well. Try as he did he could not diverthis thoughts from the exciting lion hunt. True, he was sleepy andsomewhat tired, but notwithstanding this he could not keep his eyelidsclosed.
He thought of going out to join the _askari_, or native guard, who waskeeping watch some thirty feet away. But he changed his mind anddecided to make another attempt to fall asleep.
Suddenly he sat up with a start, straining his eyes to make out thejungle more easily. What was that he had heard? It sounded likestealthily moving feet.
"Maybe there's another lion prowling around," the youth thought,picking up his rifle.