spring where, it was said, lions were in the habit of coming
nightly to drink.

"That's the place I want!" cried Tom.

Accordingly the airship was headed for it, and one evening it
came gently to earth in a little clearing on the edge of the
jungle, while Koku, as was his habit, got supper.

After the meal Tom and Ned set the camera, and then, picking
out a good spot nearby, they hid themselves to wait for what
might happen. The lens was focused on the spring, and the
powerful electric light set going. It glowed brightly, and our
hero thought it might have the effect of keeping the beasts away,
but Tom figured that, after they had looked at it for a while,
and seen that it did not harm them, they would lose their
suspicions, and come within range of his machine.

"The camera will do the rest," he said. In order not to waste
films uselessly Tom arranged a long electric wire, running it
from the camera to where he and Ned were hid. By pressing a
button he could start or stop the camera any time he wished, and,
as he had a view of the spring from his vantage point, he could
have the apparatus begin taking pictures as soon as there was
some animal within focus.

"Well, I'm getting stiff," said Ned, after an hour or so had
passed in silent darkness, the only light being the distant one
on the camera.