small cub lay curled in slumber.

As we stood there for a moment, spellbound by the sight of

those fearsome creatures occupying the very thrones of the

sovereigns of England, the low growl was repeated, and a

great male rose slowly to his feet.

His devilish eyes bored straight through the semi-darkness

toward us. He had discovered the interloper. What right

had man within this palace of the beasts? Again he opened

his giant jaws, and this time there rumbled forth a warning

roar.

Instantly eight or ten of the other beasts leaped to their

feet. Already the great fellow who had spied us was

advancing slowly in our direction. I held my rifle ready,

but how futile it appeared in the face of this savage horde.

The foremost beast broke into a slow trot, and at his heels

came the others. All were roaring now, and the din of their

great voices reverberating through the halls and corridors

of the palace formed the most frightful chorus of thunderous

savagery imaginable to the mind of man.

And then the leader charged, and upon the hideous

pandemonium broke the sharp crack of my rifle, once, twice,

thrice. Three lions rolled, struggling and biting, to the

floor. Victory seized my arm, with a quick, "This way!

Here is a door," and a moment later we were in a tiny

antechamber at the foot of a narrow stone staircase.

Up this we backed, Victory just behind me, as the first of

the remaining lions leaped from the throne room and sprang

for the stairs. Again I fired, but others of the ferocious

beasts leaped over their fallen fellows and pursued us.

The stairs were very narrow--that was all that saved us--for

as I backed slowly upward, but a single lion could attack me

at a time, and the carcasses of those I slew impeded the

rushes of the others.

At last we reached the top. There was a long corridor from

which opened many doorways. One, directly behind us, was

tight closed. If we could open it and pass into the chamber