Suddenly, we heard a lion roaring a few yards away.

“Oh,” whispered the viscount, “he is quite close!⁠ ⁠… Don’t you see him?⁠ ⁠… There⁠ ⁠… through the trees⁠ ⁠… in that thicket!⁠ ⁠… If he roars again, I will fire!⁠ ⁠…”

And the roaring began again, louder than before. And the viscount fired, but I do not think that he hit the lion; only, he smashed a mirror, as I perceived the next morning, at daybreak. We must have covered a good distance during the night, for we suddenly found ourselves on the edge of the desert, an immense desert of sand, stones and rocks. It was really not worth while leaving the forest to come upon the desert. Tired out, I flung myself down beside the viscount, for I had had enough of looking for springs which I could not find.