in readiness."

Immediately behind the party a fire was burning; it had been
suffered to die down until it was a mere pile of glowing embers,
and in this the ends of a dozen stakes of dried wood were laid.
The glow of the fire was carefully hidden by a circle of sticks
on which thick cloths had been hung. The fire had been prepared in
readiness in case the lions should appear in numbers too formidable
to be coped with. The leading lion was within twenty-five paces
of the spot where the party was standing when Hamilcar gave the
word, and a volley of arrows shot forth from their hiding place.

The lion gave a roar of rage and pain, then, crouching for a moment,
with a few tremendous bounds he reached the edge of the wood. He
could see his enemies now, and with a fierce spring threw himself
upon them. But as soon as they had discharged their arrows the
soldiers had caught up their weapons and formed in a close body,
and the lion was received upon the points of a dozen spears.

There was a crashing of wood and a snarling growl as one of the
soldiers was struck dead with a blow of the mighty paw of the lion,
who, ere he could recover himself, received half a dozen javelins
thrust deep into his flanks, and fell dead.

The rest of the troop had followed him as he sprang forward,
but some of the soldiers, who had been told off for the purpose,
seized the lighted brands and threw them over the head of the leader
among his followers. As the glowing brands, after describing fiery
circles in the air, fell and scattered at their feet, the lions
paused, and turning abruptly off dashed away with long bounds across