A moment later the lads saw the lion leave the vicinity of the fence, cross the yard, and disappear behind the side of a barn.  Then came a sudden smashing of boards, and a wild-eyed horse burst into view and ran down the street at top speed.

“The lion scared that horse,” said Whopper.  “Well, he’s enough to scare anything.”

“Boys! boys! why don’t you come in?” pleaded Mrs. Carson.  “If he sees you he’ll surely try to get up on the piazza.”

“If he turns this way we’ll come in and shut the blinds,” answered her nephew.

“It may be too late then.”

“Oh, I think not, aunty.”

Another shot rang out, and then the boys saw the men running around the barn.

“Perhaps they have managed to shut the lion in the barn,” said Snap.

“If they are circus men they would rather capture the lion than kill him,” returned the doctor’s son.  “Lions must be worth a good deal of money.”

It was now about seven o’clock, and not as light as it had been.  A few minutes passed and the men did not seem to be doing anything.

“Do you know what I think?” declared Whopper.  “I think that lion is hiding on them.”

“Just what I was going to say,” came from Giant.  “Maybe he has crawled to some dark corner of the barn and nobody has the courage to stir him up.”

“Do you want to stir him up?” asked Snap dryly.

“Not on your necktie!” answered the small youth.

“Let him sleep in peace,” added Whopper.

“He won’t sleep,” said the doctor’s son.

“Something doing, now!” cried Whopper a few minutes later.  He had seen one of the men run across the yard.  “Why, I declare, there is the lion in the yard next door!”

“How did he get there?” asked Snap.

“I don’t know.”

“That man is going to take another shot!” cried Shep as he saw a gun raised.

“And there goes the lion!” cried Snap as the form of the animal arose swiftly in the air.  With grace and precision the lord of the animal world cleared the back fence of the yard and crouched down in the street, close to a tree.

“He’s heading this way!” burst out the doctor’s son.  “Maybe we had better get indoors.”

“Oh, he can’t leap up here,” insisted Giant, who was brave, even though small.

“We’ll take no chances,” was Shep’s answer.  “Come.”

He turned to the window, and so did Snap and Whopper.  At that minute one of the men came around the corner of the street.  The lion leaped from behind the tree into the roadway.  Pulling up his gun, the man banged away wildly, for he was nervous and frightened.

“Oh!” came in a groan from Giant, and his chums saw him stagger.

“What is it?” asked Snap quickly.  But instead of answering the small youth staggered around the piazza top.

“Giant is shot!” gasped Whopper.  “Catch him!  He is falling off the roof!”