“Do you think the lions are sure to make for these groves?” Malchus asked his father as, with a bundle of javelins lying by his side, his bow in his hand, and a quiver of arrows hung from his belt in readiness, he took his place at the edge of the trees.

“There can be no certainty of it, Malchus; but it seems likely that the lions, when driven out of their refuges among the hills, will make for these groves, which will seem to offer them a shelter from their pursuers.  The fires here will have informed them of our presence last night; but as all is still and dark now they may suppose that the groves are deserted.  In any case our horses are in readiness among the trees close at hand, and if the lions take to the plains we must mount and join the Numidians in the chase.”

“I would rather meet them here on foot, father.”

“Yes, there is more excitement, because there is more danger in it, Malchus; but I can tell you the attack of a wounded lion is no joke, even for a party of twenty-five well armed men.  Their force and fury are prodigious, and they will throw themselves fearlessly upon a clump of spears in order to reach their enemies.  One blow from their paws is certain death.  Be careful, therefore, Malchus.  Stir not from my side, and remember that there is a vast difference between rashness and bravery.”

CHAPTER II:  A NIGHT ATTACK

The time seemed to Malchus to pass slowly indeed as he sat waiting the commencement of the hunt.  Deep roars, sounding like distant thunder, were heard from time to time among the hills.  Once or twice Malchus fancied that he could hear other sounds such as would be made by a heavy stone dislodged from its site leaping down the mountain side; but he was not sure that this was not fancy, or that the sound might not be caused by the roaring of lions far away among the hills.

His father had said that three hours would probably elapse before the circuit would be completed.  The distance was not great, but the troops would have to make their way with the greatest care along the rocky hills through brushwood and forest, and their advance would be all the more slow that they had to take such pains to move noiselessly.

It was indeed more than three hours after the column had left the camp when the sound of a distant horn was heard far up the hillside.  Almost instantaneously lights burst out in a great semicircle along the hillside, and a faint confused sound, as of the shouting of a large body of men, was heard on the still night air.

“That is very well done,” the general said in a tone of satisfaction.  “I had hardly expected it to be so well managed; for the operation on such broken and difficult ground was not easy to carry out, even with the moon to help them.”

“But see, father!” Malchus said, “there are many patches of darkness in the line, and the lions might surely escape through these.”