The man breathed a sigh of relief as he lowered his rifle. He saw
the girl fling a grimace at the angry, roaring, maneater beneath
her, and then, laughing, speed away into the forest. For an hour
the lion remained about the water hole. A hundred times could the
hunter have bagged his prey. Why did he fail to do so? Was he
afraid that the shot might attract the girl and cause her to return?
At last Numa, still roaring angrily, strode majestically into the
jungle. The hunter crawled from his boma, and half an hour later
was entering a little camp snugly hidden in the forest. A handful
of black followers greeted his return with sullen indifference.
He was a great bearded man, a huge, yellow-bearded giant, when he
entered his tent. Half an hour later he emerged smooth shaven.
His blacks looked at him in astonishment.
"Would you know me?" he asked.
"The hyena that bore you would not know you, Bwana," replied one.
The man aimed a heavy fist at the black's face; but long experience
in dodging similar blows saved the presumptuous one.
Chapter 17
Meriem returned slowly toward the tree in which she had left her
skirt, her shoes and her stockings.
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