“The bear—–­he’s coming this way!” yelled Snap.

“Shoot him!” screamed Giant.  And he brought around his gun.

All tried to get a shot, but the trees were too thick, and in a few seconds the bear was out of sight, crashing down the brushwood as he went.

He was badly frightened, and with good cause, for a lion was a new enemy for him.

As the bear disappeared the boy hunters turned their attention again to the lion.  The monarch of the forest was doing his best to climb over the tree limbs, which turned and bent between him.

“Shall we shoot him?” queried Snap.  “If he gets loose.”

“There he goes!” shouted Shep.

As the doctor’s son spoke they heard a tree limb snap in twain.  For one instant the lion clung to the broken end, then, with a roar, the beast sank out of sight into the pit.

CHAPTER XXIV

A NOTABLE CAPTURE

“We’ve got him!  We’ve got him!” shouted Snap, and his heart gave a wild bound of pleasure.

“Don’t be too sure,” cautioned the doctor’s son.  “Wait—–­keep your gun ready for use.”

“That’s it—–­he may get out of the pit,” came from Giant.  “Don’t take any risks.  He could kill a fellow in a minute, if he got the chance!”

They waited, each with his gun ready.  Down in the pit they heard the lion growling and slashing around.  Evidently he was doing his best to get out of the hole.

“I’ll bet he’s mad,” said Snap.

“One of the dead wildcats is with him,” said Snap.  “That will give him something to eat.”

“He’ll not think of eating just now,” answered the doctor’s son.  “He knows he is in a bad fix.”

They waited a minute longer and then the lion became quiet.  At last the three boy hunters ventured into the clearing and Shep, with his gun raised, walked slowly to the edge of the pit.

Suddenly a fearful roar rent the air, echoing far and wide across the mountains.  The lion had discovered the doctor’s son.  His mane bristled and he showed his cruel teeth to the full.

“Can he—–­do you think he can get out?” asked Snap.

“Hardly, or he’d be out already,” answered Shep.  “Let us pull those branches away.  They might give him some sort of a foothold.”

All three of the boys came up and gazed down on the captured beast.  They hauled the tree branches away and threw the second dead wildcat into the pit.  Snap did this, and it seemed to cause the lion some surprise.  He shut his mouth, his eyes began to blink, and presently he bent down and commenced to feed on one of the carcasses.

“He knows he is a prisoner,” cried Snap.  “See, he’s acting just as if he was in the circus.”  For the monarch of the forest had laid down, with the meat between his heavy fore paws.

“I’ve got an idea,” said Shep, looking around.  “There are a great number of flat stones on the mountain side.  Let us shove them down here and pile up a sort of wall around the top of the pit.  That will surely keep the lion in.”