第27章

A SHOT IN TIME

"Tom, did you ever see anything like it in your life?""I never did, Ned! It's wonderful! fearful! And to think that we are here watching it, and that thousands of people will see the same thing thrown on a screen.Oh, look at the big one.The small lion has him down!"The two lads, much thrilled, crouched down behind a screen of bushes, watching the midnight fight between the lions.On the airship, not far distant, there was no little alarm, for those left behind heard the terrific roars, and feared Tom and Ned might be in some danger.But the lions were too much occupied with their battle, to pay any attention to anything else, and no other wild beasts were likely to come to the spring while the two "kings" were at each other.

It was a magnificent, but terrible battle.The big cats bit and tore at each other, using their terrific claws and their powerful paws, one stroke of which is said to be sufficient to break a bullock's back.Sometimes they would roll out of the focus of the camera, and, at such times, Tom wished he was at the machine to swing the lens around, but he knew it would be dangerous to move.Then the beasts would roll back into the rays of light again, and more pictures of them would be taken.

"I guess the small one is going to win!" said Tom, after the two lions had fought for ten minutes, and the bigger one had been down several times.

"He's younger," agreed Ned, "and I guess the other one has had his share of fights.Maybe this is a battle to see which one is to rule this part of the jungle.""I guess so," spoke the young inventor, as he pressed the button to stop the camera, as the lions rolled out of focus."Oh, look!" he cried a moment later, as the animals again rolled into view.Tom started the camera once more."This is near the end," he said.

The small lion had, by a sudden spring, landed on the back of his rival.There was a terrific struggle, and the older beast went down, the youngerone clawing him terribly.Then, so quickly did it happen that the boys could not take in all the details, the older lion rolled over and over, and rid himself of his antagonist.Quickly he got to his feet, while the smaller lion did the same.They stood for a moment eyeing each other, their tails twitching, the hair on their backs bristling, and all the while they uttered frightful, roars.

An instant later the larger beast sprang toward his rival.One terrible paw was upraised.The small lion tried to dodge, but was not quick enough.Down came the paw with terrific force, and the boys could hear the back bone snap.Then, clawing his antagonist terribly, as he lay disabled, the older lion, with a roar of triumph, lapped up water, and sprang off through the jungle, leaving his dying rival beside the spring.

"That's the end," cried Tom, as the small lion died, and the young inventor pressed the button stopping his camera.There was a rustle in the leaves back of Tom and Ned, and they sprang up in alarm, but they need not have feared, for it was only Koku, the giant, who, with a portable electrical torch, had come to see how they had fared.

"Mr.Tom all right?" asked the big man, anxiously.

"Yes, and I got some fine pictures.You can carry the camera back now, Koku.I think that roll of film is pretty well filled."The three of them looked at the body of the dead lion, before they went back to the airship.I have called him "small," but, in reality, the ;beast was small only in comparison with his rival, who was a tremendous lion in size.I might add that of all the pictures Tom took, few were more highly prized than that reel of the lion fight.