to cease from hunting, and it seemed to me, except for the purposes of
food, that this journey of ours was the latter. However, as I expected,
Oliver Orme literally leaped at the idea. So did Higgs, who of late
had been practising with a rifle and began to fancy himself a shot.
He exclaimed loudly that nothing would give him greater pleasure,
especially as he was sure that lions were in fact cowardly and overrated
beasts.

From that moment I foreboded disaster in my heart. Still, I said I would
come too, partly because I had not shot a lion for many a day and had
a score to settle with those beasts which, it may be remembered, nearly
killed me on the Mountain of Mur, and partly because, knowing the desert
and also the Zeu people much better than either the Professor or Orme, I
thought that I might possibly be of service.

So we fetched our rifles and cartridges, to which by an afterthought we
added two large water-bottles, and ate a hearty breakfast. As we were
preparing to start, Shadrach, the leader of the Abati camel-drivers,
that man with the scarred face who was nicknamed the Cat, came up to me
and asked me whither we were going. I told him, whereon he said:

"What have you to do with these savages and their troubles, lords? If
a few of them are killed it is no matter, but as you should know, O
Doctor, if you wish to hunt lions there are plenty in that land whither
you travel, seeing that the lion is the fetish of the Fung and therefore
never killed. But the desert about Zeu is dangerous and harm may come to
you."

"Then accompany us," broke in the Professor, between whom and Shadrach
there was no love lost, "for, of course, with you we should be quite