Part 33 (2/2)

”Didn't walk away!” ejaculated Tom

”No Udder footprints walk away, but not um Massah dick”

”I don't understand, Cujo Do you think he--fell into the lake?”

”Perhaps, Massah Toet into boat”

Tom shook his head ”I don't know of any boats around here--do you?” he asked of dick Chester

”No,” returned the youngin the vicinity may have them”

”Perhaps a native dun carry him off,” said Aleck ”He must be sumwhar, dat am certain”

”Yes, he must be somewhere,” repeated To up, and also one of dick Chester's friends The college students were introduced to the others by Toan for dick, which lasted until the shades of night had fallen But poor dick was not found, and all wondered greatly what had, become of him

Tom and the others retired at ten o'clock But not to sleep, for with dicknone of the Rovers could close an eye ”We ,” said Sareed with him

CHAPTER XXV

dick AND THE LION

When poor dick ca in a heap on the decayed leaves at the bottom of the holloeen the rocks The stuff Josiah Crabtree had thron still lay on top, of him, and it was a wonder that he had not been sht which crossed his confused mind He tried to sit up, but found this impossible until he had scattered the dead leaves and tree branches Even then he was so bewildered that he hardly knehat to do, excepting to stare around at his strange surroundings Slowly the truth dawned upon him--how Josiah Crabtree had struck hiht ht I was dead!”

Although dick did not know it, he had been at the bottoht The sun was now up once ined

The holloas damp and full of ants and other insects, and as soon as he felt able the youth got up There was a big lump behind his left ear where the stick had descended, and this hurt not a little

”I'll get square with him some day,” he muttered, as he tried to crawl out of the hollow ”He has ave his will be different”

It was no easy et out of the hollow The sides were steep and slippery, and four times poor dick tried, only to slip back to the bottom He was about to try a fifth tireat alarm From only a short distance away came the muffled roar of a lion

dick had never heard, this sound out in the open before, but he had heard it a nuerie in Central Park, New York, and he recognized the roar only too well

”A lion!” he thought ”My gracious! I trust he isn't co that way, as dick soon discovered A few seconds of silence were followed by another roar which to, the alarmed youth appeared to come from almost over his head Then came a lohine, which was kept up for fully a minute, followed by another roar dick hardly kneas best--to remain at the bottom of the hollow or try to escape to soo up now he ht dismally ”Oh, if only I had my--thank Heaven, I have!”

dick had felt for his pistol before, to find it gone But now he spotted the glint of the shi+ny barrel a the leaves The weapon had fallen from his person at the time Crabtree had pitched him into the hollow He reached for it, and to his joy found that it was fully loaded and ready for use

Presently he heard the bushes overhead thrust aside, and then ca up, he saw a lion standing on the edge of the hollow facing hi one of his forepaws up and now he sat down on his haunches to lick the limb Then he set up another whine and shook the liht dick ”Wonder if he sees me?”