and sky; we could hear the grains of sand trickling from the ridges.
The Zeus, who accompanied us, grew uneasy, and pointed upward with their
spears, then behind toward the oasis of which we had long lost sight.
Finally, when we were not looking, they disappeared.

Now I would have followed them, guessing that they had some good reason
for this sudden departure. But Higgs refused to come, and Orme, in whom
his foolish taunt seemed still to rankle, only shrugged his shoulders
and said nothing.

"Let the black curs go," exclaimed the Professor as he polished his blue
spectacles and mopped his face. "They are a white-livered lot of sneaks.
Look! There she is, creeping off to the left. If we run round that
sand-hill we shall meet her."

So we ran round the sand-hill, but we did not meet her, although after
long hunting we struck the blood spoor afresh, and followed it for
several miles, first in this direction, and then in that, until Orme and
I wondered at Higgs's obstinacy and endurance. At length, when even he
was beginning to despair, we put up the lioness in a hollow, and fired
several shots at her as she hobbled over the opposing slope, one of
which hit her, for she rolled over, then picked herself up again,
roaring. As a matter of fact, it came from the Captain's rifle, but
Higgs, who, like many an inexperienced person was a jealous sportsman,
declared that it was his and we did not think it worth while to
contradict him.

On we toiled, and, just beyond the ridge, walked straight into the
lioness, sitting up like a great dog, so injured that she could do
nothing but snarl hideously and paw at the air.