“It’s a simple shot,” said the hunter.  “All you have to do is to keep perfectly cool and wait for the lion to come to his stand.”

“Very easy,” muttered Compton, with a grimace, as he looked at the white fangs and the cruel-looking claws, finishing off that mighty weapon the lion’s forearm, capable of battering in a man’s head at one blow.

The chief stood looking from the lion to the hunter.  “Ye be brothers,” he said, “ye two; both great men of the hunt; chiefs by your own right wherever you go.”

“When I was young,” said Mr. Hume, “I shot lions for the pride of the victory; but long since I gave that up, and only when a lion seeks me have I gone out to kill him.”

“Ye be brothers,” said the chief.  “The great one stands alone, for he is merciful in his strength.  The spotted one kills for the love of killing.  He will kill, if the chance comes, many times more than he can eat.  The warrior will slay of his enemies all his spear can reach.  The great one eats and is satisfied.  The rest may live till he be hungry.  I know, for I have met him face to face in the path.  I say to him, ‘’’Inkose’ (chief), the path is yours.’  I have stood aside, and the ‘inkose’ has gone on his way in peace.’

“If you carried a rifle, chief, it might be otherwise.  Take the claws, Venning; we cannot find room for the skin.”

The claws were cut off, and they returned to the camp for breakfast.

CHAPTER X

A NIGHT IN THE REEDS

It was good to sit around the glowing embers where the buffalo-steak sizzled and threw out an odour that made their mouths water, good to sip the hot coffee and to look out upon the great wilderness rising up to the distant watershed of the lower bank of the Congo.  From the cliff above starlings flew out to seek their feeding-haunts where the big game fed; and there was a familiar visitor near them in the black and drab stone-chat, whose scolding chirp they had so often heard in England among the gorse and bramble.  The metallic cry of guinea-fowl down by the little river had a farm-yard ring; but the chatter of parrots flying overhead was still new, and so with many other calls, so that they sat munching in silence, with eyes and ears too much engaged for speech, even if the buffalo-steak had not given their mouths other occupation.  They saw the vultures speeding from out the uttermost reach of the blue vault to feed upon the carcass of the dead monarch, the whereabouts of the feast having been detected from their distant haunts by a keenness of sight which for swiftness outdoes wireless telegraphy.  They swept on like frigates of the sky, heads thrust down, and the vast wings seeming to bear them on without beat or motion.

After breakfast the two boys left the camp for a little hunt on their own account, while Mr. Hume remained to help the chief cure the buffalo hide.  They struck out down the river, passed the reeds out of which the lion had sprung, saw the cluster of vultures standing round the body of the lion, and then they saw a troop of antelope grazing in a patch of mimosas.  After a careful stalk, Compton fired, and the herd dashed off together, with the exception of one, which took its own course at a slower gait.