Directly after Sir James and the doctor joined them, and a couple more shots came from a distance, in the direction where the thundering beat of hoofs was beginning to die away, and then shots again, followed by a hideous snarling and roaring, as if very near at hand several lions were quarrelling like angry cats over their prey. "Ahoy, there!" shouted the doctor. "Ahoy!" came from two places in the distance. "Rally here," cried the doctor, as loud as he could shout. "Up here by the waggon!" This was followed by the beating of feet upon the thick grass, and all the time the trampling of oxen grew more distant, while the savage snarling went on and was punctuated in the darkness every now and then by a deep-toned bark. "This way," cried the doctor. "Come on!" The boys' hearts beat hard at this, for the doctor's words were answered by a chorus of snarls from what Mark judged now to be a portion of the forest not many yards away; and involuntarily the boys raised their rifles to their shoulders as they glanced to right and left, trying to make out through the darkness whether the way was clear for a shot. "Hadn't we better fire again, father?" "No," said the doctor sharply, from close at hand. "The men are rallying, and we may hit somebody." "Yes," said Sir James quickly. "And besides," continued the doctor, "if we fire at where that snarling comes from it will be answered by a rush. The brutes can see in this horrid darkness." "What are they doing?" asked Dean. "They have pulled down a bullock, boys, and they are quarrelling over it. Can't you hear? Oh, this darkness!" cried the speaker, and he gave--so the sound indicated--a stamp of one foot. "Is the boss there?" cried a gruff voice. "Yes, this way, Denham," said the doctor. "Mind the lions." "Oh, I hear them, sir. Anyone hurt?" "I hope not," replied the doctor, as the man came nearer, rustling through the grass. "Where are your men?" _Oomph! Oomph! Oomph_! came in a deep-toned roar, followed by a chorus of snarls. "Old 'uns and young 'uns," said Denham, subduing his voice a little. "They don't like our being so near. I expect my chaps have shinned up the trees somewhere. That's what they would do, gentlemen; and old Brown has used those long legs of his to put him miles away by this time." "But have you heard anything of my two men?" asked Sir James--"Dance and Bacon?" "I've 'eard them letting go with their rifles, sir." "And what about Dan?" "Oh, I haven't heard anything of him, sir." "Ahoy!" came in the little sailor's well known voice, from somewhere in the darkness. "Ahoy!" cried the boys together. _Roo--oomph_! _Roo--oomph_! _Roo--oomph_! issued from the spot that had now grown familiar. "Steady, gentlemen--steady! All cats have got the savage on strong when they are at work at their grub. Wait a bit. Let's get the others together, and then we'll give the brutes a volley as near as we can." "Cooey! Cooey!" came out of the darkness.