Dog was eating dog; and, with a feeling of disgust and contempt, he prepared himself to rest.

A little later the white circle was complete again, and the silent inspection was continued.
This got on his nerves, and, springing over the fire with his rifle clubbed, he gave two sweeping blows.

The dogs slipped away from his front, only to reappear with threatening growls on his flank.

He leapt back to safety and fired; but the light was bad, and he missed.

Piling on a few more reeds, he emptied his magazine rapidly, facing all parts of the circle, and making some hits, as he judged from the howling that went up.
"There!" he shouted savagely, "will that satisfy you ?" The pack fell upon the wounded, and was back again into position, coming closer and closer as the fires died down.
Then he remembered the stories he had heard of the persistence of the wild-dogs--how they would drive off even a lion from his prey-- and he fell to counting his cartridges.