By the time that it was finished darkness had fallen, and before they turned in to sleep in the neat reed hut that the Ogula had built, Alan and Jeekie walked up the island to see if the lioness had been skinned, as they directed.

This they found was done; even the carcase itself had been removed to serve as meat for these foul-feeding people.

They climbed on to the pile of rocks in which the beast had made her lair, and looked down the river to where, two hundred yards away, the Ogula were encamped.

From this camp there rose a sound of revelry, and by the light of the great fires that burned there, they perceived that the hungry savages were busy feasting, for some of them sat in circles, whilst others, their naked forms looking at that distance like those of imps in the infernal regions, flitted to and fro against the glowing background of the fires, bearing strange-looking joints on prongs of wood.
"I suppose they are eating the lioness," said Alan doubtfully.
"No, no, Major, not lioness; eat dwarf by dozen--just like oysters at seaside.

But for Little Bonsa _we_ sit on those forks now and look uncommon small." "Beasts!" said Alan in disgust; "they make me feel uncommon sick.