But Sabor was not to be diverted. She had her eyes upon the lad.
He stood between her and her mate, between her and the kill. It
was suspicious. Probably he had ulterior designs upon her lord
and master or upon the fruits of their hunting. A lioness is short
tempered. Akut's bellowing annoyed her. She uttered a little
rumbling growl, taking a step toward the boy.
"The tree!" screamed Akut.
The boy turned and fled, and at the same instant the lioness charged.
The tree was but a few paces away. A limb hung ten feet from the
ground, and as the boy leaped for it the lioness leaped for him.
Like a monkey he pulled himself up and to one side. A great
forepaw caught him a glancing blow at the hips--just grazing him.
One curved talon hooked itself into the waist band of his pajama
trousers, ripping them from him as the lioness sped by. Half-naked
the lad drew himself to safety as the beast turned and leaped for
him once more.
Akut, from a near-by tree, jabbered and scolded, calling the lioness
all manner of foul names. The boy, patterning his conduct after
that of his preceptor, unstoppered the vials of his invective upon
the head of the enemy, until in realization of the futility of
words as weapons he bethought himself of something heavier to hurl.
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