time to receive the child, whom Harold flung to him, snatched from
the lion's grasp; and again we saw a wrestling, struggling, heaving
mass, Harry still uppermost, pinning the beast down with his weight
and the mighty strength against which it struggled furiously. Having
got free of the boy, his one ally was again aiming his rifle at the
lion's ear, when two keepers, with nets and an iron bar, came on the
scene, one shouting not to shoot, and the other holding up the bar
and using some word of command, at which the lion cowered and
crouched. The people broke into a loud cheer after their breathless
silence, and it roused the already half-subdued lion. There was
another fierce and desperate struggle, lasting only a moment, and
ended by the report of the rifle.

In fact, the whole passed almost like a flash of lightning from the
moment of our first halt, till the crowd closed in, so that I could
only see one bare yellow head, towering above the hats, and finally
cleaving a way towards us, closely followed by Dermot Tracy, carrying
the rifle and almost beside himself with enthusiasm and excitement.
"Lucy--is it you? What, he is your cousin? I never saw anything
like it! He mastered it alone, quite alone!"

And then we heard Harry bidding those around not touch him, and Dora
screamed with dismay, and I saw he had wrapped both hands in his
handkerchief. To my frightened question, whether he was hurt, he
answered, "Only my hands, but I fancy the brute has done for some of
my fingers. If those fellows could but have held their tongues!"

He climbed into the carriage to rid himself of the crowd, who were
offering all sorts of aid, commiseration, and advice, and Dermot
begged to come too, "in case he should be faint," which made Harry