Read Online 09 Lion Adventure by Willard Price - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Willard Price
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anything stirs in that grass without our spotting it, there’s no excuse for us.’
For an hour their binoculars combed the three miles of track and the fairly open country on each side between track and forest. Then Roger nudged his brother. He pointed.
‘Look - there. Just coming out of the woods. Four, five, six lions.’
‘Let’s go,’ said Hal. The words were hardly out of his mouth before he was over the side and sliding down the trail line. Roger followed. In less than twenty seconds they were in the car and speeding down the road that hugged the track. A minute later they tumbled out at the point nearest to the approaching group of lions.
The railway men looked up in surprise. They had been too intent on their work to notice the danger. Hal and Roger snatched two rifles from the car, crossed the track, and walked through the grass towards the lions.
None of the railway men could help them since they were forbidden to carry arms. They went back to their work, glancing anxiously now and then at the boys who were their only protection against six possible man-eaters. The lions came on slowly.
‘Perhaps they don’t mean any harm,’ Roger said.
‘How can we tell?’
Hal stripped off his shirt. He went a hundred feet forward and threw down the shirt, then returned to join Roger. .
The lions came up to the shirt, sniffed at it curiously, pawed it a little, then went off a short distance and lay down.
There’s your answer,’ Hal said. ‘There’s plenty of man-smell in that shirt. If they had been man-eaters they probably would have ripped it to bits.’
‘Not necessarily,’ said a voice behind them. They turned to see the white hunter who until now had avoided them.
‘I believe your name is Dugan,’ said Hal, extending his hand. Dugan shook it, but without enthusiasm. He was a lemon-faced fellow with bitter eyes and a sour twist to the corners of his mouth.
‘Just thought you might need a little help,’ Dugan said. ‘Six lions could be a bit too much for two inexperienced boys.’
Hal smiled. He would not trouble to explain his own long experience with animals. He was not going to let Dugan get his goat.
‘You could be wrong about the shirt,’ Dugan went on. ‘Lions are pretty sly. Perhaps they’re just pretending they don’t care about man-smell. Perhaps they just want to put you off your guard. Then they’ll pounce on you or on one of the men.’
‘I know that,’ Hal said. ‘But we have orders not to kill harmless lions. Since we can’t be absolutely sure whether they are harmless or not, let’s scare them back into the woods. Let’s shoot over their heads. Be very careful,’ he said to Roger, ‘not to hit one of them. If you do you’ll have King Ku and Tanga and the warden and everybody else down on us.’
‘Excellent idea,’ Dugan said with a mean smile and raised his gun. The three fired at the same instant.
The lions leaped to their feet and made off towards the woods. One lagged behind, and then fell. Hal looked at bis brother accusingly.
‘You shot him!’
‘I did not. I aimed six feet above their heads.’
‘Well, if you didn’t, who did?’ Hal wheeled around to face Dugan.
But Dugan was no longer there. He was running down the tracks towards the station.
The boys remained at their post for a time to be sure that the lions did not return. Then they cautiously approached the one that had fallen. It did not stir. The great golden-haired body was curled up as if in sleep. Blood welled from a bullet hole behind the left ear. It would be a long sleep.
Hal retrieved his shirt. Wearily, they went back to the station to report to Tanga. Hal began to explain, but Tanga cut him short.
‘Dugan has already told me about it,’ said the station master. ‘How could you possibly make such a mistake? Haven’t you ever had a gun in your hands before?’
Hal stared. ‘You mean - Dugan pinned it on us?’
‘Now look here,’ Tanga said irritably. ‘I don’t
For an hour their binoculars combed the three miles of track and the fairly open country on each side between track and forest. Then Roger nudged his brother. He pointed.
‘Look - there. Just coming out of the woods. Four, five, six lions.’
‘Let’s go,’ said Hal. The words were hardly out of his mouth before he was over the side and sliding down the trail line. Roger followed. In less than twenty seconds they were in the car and speeding down the road that hugged the track. A minute later they tumbled out at the point nearest to the approaching group of lions.
The railway men looked up in surprise. They had been too intent on their work to notice the danger. Hal and Roger snatched two rifles from the car, crossed the track, and walked through the grass towards the lions.
None of the railway men could help them since they were forbidden to carry arms. They went back to their work, glancing anxiously now and then at the boys who were their only protection against six possible man-eaters. The lions came on slowly.
‘Perhaps they don’t mean any harm,’ Roger said.
‘How can we tell?’
Hal stripped off his shirt. He went a hundred feet forward and threw down the shirt, then returned to join Roger. .
The lions came up to the shirt, sniffed at it curiously, pawed it a little, then went off a short distance and lay down.
There’s your answer,’ Hal said. ‘There’s plenty of man-smell in that shirt. If they had been man-eaters they probably would have ripped it to bits.’
‘Not necessarily,’ said a voice behind them. They turned to see the white hunter who until now had avoided them.
‘I believe your name is Dugan,’ said Hal, extending his hand. Dugan shook it, but without enthusiasm. He was a lemon-faced fellow with bitter eyes and a sour twist to the corners of his mouth.
‘Just thought you might need a little help,’ Dugan said. ‘Six lions could be a bit too much for two inexperienced boys.’
Hal smiled. He would not trouble to explain his own long experience with animals. He was not going to let Dugan get his goat.
‘You could be wrong about the shirt,’ Dugan went on. ‘Lions are pretty sly. Perhaps they’re just pretending they don’t care about man-smell. Perhaps they just want to put you off your guard. Then they’ll pounce on you or on one of the men.’
‘I know that,’ Hal said. ‘But we have orders not to kill harmless lions. Since we can’t be absolutely sure whether they are harmless or not, let’s scare them back into the woods. Let’s shoot over their heads. Be very careful,’ he said to Roger, ‘not to hit one of them. If you do you’ll have King Ku and Tanga and the warden and everybody else down on us.’
‘Excellent idea,’ Dugan said with a mean smile and raised his gun. The three fired at the same instant.
The lions leaped to their feet and made off towards the woods. One lagged behind, and then fell. Hal looked at bis brother accusingly.
‘You shot him!’
‘I did not. I aimed six feet above their heads.’
‘Well, if you didn’t, who did?’ Hal wheeled around to face Dugan.
But Dugan was no longer there. He was running down the tracks towards the station.
The boys remained at their post for a time to be sure that the lions did not return. Then they cautiously approached the one that had fallen. It did not stir. The great golden-haired body was curled up as if in sleep. Blood welled from a bullet hole behind the left ear. It would be a long sleep.
Hal retrieved his shirt. Wearily, they went back to the station to report to Tanga. Hal began to explain, but Tanga cut him short.
‘Dugan has already told me about it,’ said the station master. ‘How could you possibly make such a mistake? Haven’t you ever had a gun in your hands before?’
Hal stared. ‘You mean - Dugan pinned it on us?’
‘Now look here,’ Tanga said irritably. ‘I don’t
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