Part 22 (1/2)

”Hio hit hile laht fell full on the mummy beside him

Had the situation not been so serious Burt could have laughed at the sickly gray look which overspread the features of the pigroan all three buried their faces in the dirt Critch kneas time to act and rose to his feet

”Get up!” commanded the boy sternly He took the dwarfs by the hand and raised theo hie” Critch pointed at the village and the pigmies comprehended Then he patted them on the back and s a spear froolden ankh and signed to the two brothers to raise it

They obeyed after so mummy Then Critch picked up thearet the case on his own shoulder He led the way out and a moment later Burt was alone

He could hear the four stop outside while Critch lit a small fire in front of the entrance Then the latter re-entered with an ar,” he ainst the door inside the fire If the lion gets through the ss ,” murmured Burt and the other vanished He heard a few sharp orders transh Mbopo and then after five ainst the door This was a decided i was nearly blocked

Burt waited for a few le as still burning dimly and he picked up the box of matches and stowed them away beside his own As he listened he could hear the deep throb-throb of the larger druled with the sharper and more staccato notes of the tom-toms Over all rose the shrill e The tom-toms ceased abruptly with one or two scattered notes The chanting died away an instant later Then arose a low,boy shudder This was followed by silence for a brief space and then ca chief earlier in the evening Critch had triumphed! Otherwise, Burt well knew that he would have heard only one shrill yell

Burt still had his watch in its safety-pocket and had kept it wound pretty regularly He no it out and held it close to the blue flame Two o'clock; the boy stared at the hands incredulously Had all these events only occupied five or six hours? He had been sure it was nearly ht

Three hours before Critch would come!

For one moment Burt felt an insane ie The horror of the place rushed over hi oil, and the filth on the floor sickened him and he made a step forward Then he paused abruptly Critch was counting on hi his own share--it was no easy er everything at the last h Burt drew back He settled down aht for companionshi+p's sake As he leaned back his eyes closed and a feeling of delicious rest stole on him, for he was very weary and tired In anotherscratching and sniffing at the thatch behind him

CHAPTER XVII

THE DIARY

Burt leaped aith a yell of pure terror as he woke He was answered by a deep growl that sent his hair on end with fright The lion was outside and had smelled him!

There was silence for a s before the entrance This was succeeded by one angry roar and Burt concluded that the fire outside was still burning He pulled out his watch with treers Three thirty! And the sun did not rise until after four!

A low rowls and a swift pad-pad of feet cary and baffled lion ran around the hut Burt's first spase born of desperation There was no place for hiet past the lion and face the pight off the blind beast until Critch should arrive

Burt got out his matches and lit all three of the jars of palrowls outside increased in fury Then the soft footfalls ceased and the next instant the whole hut quivered as the paw of the great beast struck it

The thatch was very closely woven, however Burt hesitated between using the axe or the oil and finally decided to reserve the forain the beast struck at the side of the hut The thatch shredded aith a rustle and the hut shook beneath the strain Then a piece of the wall a foot square careat yellow foot armed with immense claws

Burt did not hesitate With a match ready lit he set fire to the oil in one of the jars It sputtered, then broke into a burst of flareat pahich was clawing frantically at the side of the opening

A terrific roar responded, a roar such as the boy had never heard before in all his life It drove the blood fro the handle of his axe, but outside he could hear the lion rolling over and crashi+ng arass between the hut and the zareba, and he knew that he was the victor for theforward Whipping off his coat he hastily beat out the fla oil, and scattered dust over the latter with his foot That frail thatch was his only protection now!

He still had two jars of oil One he was resolved to keep in case he had to use the little axe At least he would have the advantage of sight

His hopes and courage rose so about in the grass Then ca ”I hope he's run off!” muttered the boy to himself He hardly dared hope for that, however, and his fears were justified when he heard the swift pad-pad outside again This time it was faster and heavier Burt rereat cats across the plain and his heart leaped as he pictured the look of the animal outside