124 THE LION. 



" The Lion, however, was more than a match for the Boer. For during the second night, 

 Roeberg, the stout after-ox of the pet span, was quietly carried off, and although there was 

 some commotion amongst the dogs and cattle, it was supposed that the alarm had scared the 

 Lion, which had then decamped. 



" The morning light, however, showed that the poacher had leapt the palisade which sur- 

 rounded the kraal, and having killed the ox, had evidently endeavored to scramble over it 

 again, with the ox in his possession. The joint weight of the Lion and ox had caused the 

 stakes to give way, and an exit had then been easily effected. 



"The spoor of the Lion was immediately followed by the Boer, who took with him a 

 Hottentot and half-a-dozen of his best dogs. The traces were easily seen, and the hunters had 

 no difficulty in deciding that the Lion was in the kloof. But this in itself was no great 

 advance, for the kloof was about a mile in length, and three or four hundred yards in breadth ; 

 and the cover was composed of wait-a-bit thorns, creepers, and long grass, forming a jungle so 

 thick and impenetrable, that for a man to enter appeared almost impossible. 



"It was therefore agreed that the Boer should station himself on one side, whilst the 

 Hottentot went to the other side of the kloof, and that the dogs should be sent into the cover. 

 This arrangement, it was hoped, would enable either the Dutchman or Hottentot to obtain a 

 shot ; for each concluded that the dogs, which were very courageous animals, would drive the 

 Lion out of the kloof, and that it would, upon breaking cover, afford one or the other a good 

 chance. 



"The excited barks of the dogs soon indicated that they had discovered the Lion, but 

 they appeared to be unable to drive him from his stronghold : for although they would 

 scamper away every now and again, as though the enraged monster were charging them, still 

 they returned to bay at the same spot. 



" Both of the hunters lired several shots, upon the hope that a stray bullet might find its 

 way through the underwood to the heart of the savage. But a great quantity of ammunition 

 was expended, and no result achieved. 



"At length, as the dogs had almost ceased to bark, it was considered advisable to call 

 them off. But all the whistling and shouting failed in recalling more than two out of the six, 

 and one of these was fearfully maimed. The others, it was afterwards found, had been dis- 

 posed of by the Lion in the most unceremonious manner ; a blow from his paw had sufficed 

 either to break the back or smash the skull of the nearest intruder. 



"It thus happens that the bravest dogs are not always the best adapted for Lion or 

 buffalo hunting. A cur is, perhaps, the most suitable ; for while a courageous dog will boldly 

 face a Lion, and even venture within reach of his deadly stroke, and thus soon be 'expended,' 

 a cur will continue to annoy and occupy the attention of the fierce game, but at the same time 

 will take good care of its own safety. It is not expected that a dog is to struggle with either 

 a Lion or a buffalo ; its duty is merely to distract the animal, and prevent it from devoting too 

 much of its time to the hunter. Well-bred dogs are nearly useless when employed against 

 dangerous game. 



" This, the first attempt on the Lion, was a total failure, and the Boer returned home to 

 lament the loss of his dogs, and to refresh himself after his exertions. During the night, he 

 watched beside his kraal, but the Lion did not pay him a second visit. 



"Early on the following evening, he, accompanied by his Hottentot, started afresh for the 

 kloof, and having marked the spot from which the Lion had on the former occasion quitted 

 the dense thorny jungle, the two hunters ascended a tree, and watched during the whole night 

 for a glimpse at their purposed victim. But whilst they were paying the residence of the 

 Lion a visit, lie favored the farm with a call, and this time, by way of variety, carried away a 

 very valuable horse, which he conveyed to the kloof, having been wise enough to walk out 

 and return by a different path to that which he used on the former occasion. Consequently 

 he had avoided the ambush which had been prepared for him. 



"When the Boer returned to his farm, he became furious at his new loss, abused the 

 Totties and Kaffirs for their neglect and cowardice, but soon became reasonable, and deter- 

 mined on a plan which, although dangerous, was still the one which appeared the most likely 



