The paw caught him in the small of the back, and seemed to pin him against the ladder.

Then it was drawn slowly downward, and heaven! how Joshua howled.

Up came the other paw to repeat the operation, when, stretching myself outward and downward, with an Abati holding me by the ankles, I managed to shoot the beast through the head so that it fell all of a heap, taking with it a large portion of Joshua's nether garments.
A few seconds later he was among us, and tumbled groaning into a corner, where he lay in charge of some of the mountaineers, for I had no time to attend to him just then.
When the smoke cleared at length, I saw that Japhet had reached Higgs, and was gesticulating to him to run, while two lions, a male and a female, stood at a little distance, regarding the pair in an interested fashion.

Higgs, after some brief words of explanation, pointed to his knee.

Evidently he was lamed and could not run.