Take my piece, and give
me your rifle."
"What is your plan?"
"You'll see."
And Joe, taking off his linen jacket, hung it on the end
of the rifle, and thrust it above the top of the steps. The
lioness flung herself furiously upon it. Kennedy was on
the alert for her, and his bullet broke her shoulder. The
lioness, with a frightful howl of agony, rolled down the
steps, overturning Joe in her fall. The poor fellow imagined
that he could already feel the enormous paws of the
savage beast in his flesh, when a second detonation
resounded in the narrow passage, and Dr. Ferguson appeared
at the opening above with his gun in hand, and still smoking
from the discharge.
Joe leaped to his feet, clambered over the body of the
dead lioness, and handed up the flask full of sparkling
water to his master.
To carry it to his lips, and to half empty it at a draught,
was the work of an instant, and the three travellers offered
up thanks from the depths of their hearts to that Providence
who had so miraculously saved them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH.
An Evening of Delight.--Joe's Culinary Performance.--A Dissertation on Raw
Meat.--The Narrative of James Bruce.--Camping out.--Joe's Dreams.--The
Barometer begins to fall.
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