Those details I grasped in a glance, then suddenly awoke to the fact that the lioness was savagely snarling at Moze.

“Moze!  Moze!  Get down!” I yelled.

He climbed on serenely.  He was a most exasperating dog.  I screamed at him and hit him with a rock big enough to break his bones.  He kept on climbing.  Here was a predicament.  Moze would surely get to the lioness if I did not stop him, and this seemed impossible.  It was out of the question for me to climb after him.  And if the lioness jumped she would have to pass me or come straight at me.  So I slipped down the safety catch on my automatic and stood ready to save Moze or myself.

The lioness with a show of fury that startled me, descended her branch a few steps, and reaching below gave Moze a sounding smack with her big paw.  The hound dropped as if he had been shot and hit the ground with a thud.  Whereupon she returned to her perch.

This reassured me and I ran among the dogs and caught Moze already starting for the tree again and tied him, with a strap I always carried, to a small bush nearby.  I heard the yells of my companions and looking back over the tops of the cedars I saw Jim riding down and higher to the left Jones sliding, falling, running at a great rate.  I encouraged them to keep up the good work, and then gave my attention to the lioness.

She regarded me with a cold, savage stare and showed her teeth.  I repaid this incivility on her part by promptly photographing her from different points.

Jones and Jim were on the spot before I expected them and both were dusty and dripping with sweat.  I found to my surprise that my face was wet as was also my shirt.  Jones carried two lassos, and my canteen, which I had left on the promontory.

“Ain’t she a beauty?” he panted, wiping his face.  “Wait—­till I get my breath.”

When finally he walked toward the cedar the lioness stood up and growled as if she realized the entrance of the chief actor upon the scene.  Jones cast his lasso apparently to try her out, and the noose spread out and fell over her head.  As he tightened the rope the lioness backed down behind a branch.

“Tie the dogs!” yelled Jones.

“Quick!” added Jim.  “She’s goin’ to jump.”

Jim had only time to aid me in running my lasso under the collar of Don, Sounder, Jude and one of the pups.  I made them fast to a cedar.  I got my hands on Ranger just as Moze broke his strap.  I grabbed his collar and held on.

Right there was where trouble commenced for me.  Ranger tussled valiantly and Moze pulled me all over the place.  Behind me I heard Jones’ roar and Jim’s yell; the breaking of branches, the howling of the other dogs.  Ranger broke away from me and so enabled me to get my other hand on the neck of crazy Moze.  On more than one occasion I had tried to hold him and had failed; this time I swore I would do it if he rolled me over the precipice.  As to that, only a bush saved me.