622 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the aged manikin goes to windward of the encampment and shakes 

 out his abundant mane in the breeze, so that the effluvia from it may 

 be carried down to the excited draught animals. One sniff of the 

 tainted breeze in a moment brings every ox to its feet ; when stand- 

 ing, often trembling with fear, they gaze with dilated eyes into the 

 impenetrable darkness. Closer and closer approaches the aged lion to 

 his victims, shaking and reshaking the tawny dense covering of his 

 fore-quarters ; then, if the traveler's rheirns be not strong, he may 

 look out for a stampede ; but should they hold, the aggressor, as a 

 climax to his former manoeuvre, gives utterance to his deepest and 

 loudest roar, when the frightened beasts, if not secured by the stout- 

 est fastenings that can be obtained, will break off and rush with incon- 

 ceivable rapidity into the very jaws of their foes secreted to leeward. 



Such was the plan adopted on the occasion of which I speak, and 

 the result was the loss of three of my best trek bullocks. However, I 

 had one satisfaction : as the patriarch followed on their heels, assisted 

 by the light from our now blazing fires, I was enabled to place a pair 

 of ten-to-the-pound bullets through his tawny hide. This I w^as cer- 

 tain of, for I heard distinctly the thud, that never to-be-forgotten and 

 tell-tale sound of success that quickly responded to the delivery of 

 each shot. My performance in marksmanship was not wonderful, for 

 the object I fired upon was large, and within fifteen paces of where I 

 stood. The foe nevertheless did not drop in his tracks, but continued 

 his course, evidently intending to join his relatives and participate in 

 the now provided banquet of newly slaughtered beef. But man pro- 

 poses, God disposes, for many an ominous growl of pain distinctly told 

 that the old marauder was not in a frame of mind or body to enjoy 

 the feast. The night was so intensely dark that it would have been 

 utter madness to have risked my life or any of my people's to drive 

 the lions from their prey, so we satisfied ourselves by piling on fresh 

 fuel and firing an occasional shot in the direction in which we knew 

 the feast was taking place. 



With the break of day the troop had departed, leaving behind 

 them nothing but a quantity of scattered bones, half a dozen hyenas, 

 and as many jackals to tell of the tragedy which had occurred but a 

 few hours before. Soon the unclean brutes followed the example of 

 their betters and skulked off in various directions, doubtless with the 

 intention of returning when the camp was deserted, or as soon as night 

 again placed her impenetrable seal of obscurity upon the landscape. 



On inspecting the locality where the disaster had taken place, an 

 indentation in the ground was discovered, where several pools of co- 

 agulated blood were found, the soil around them scratched up and 

 tufts of grass torn by their roots from the ground scattered about, 

 while the only spoor in the immediate vicinity was that unquestion- 

 ably of the old warrior on whom I had opened fire. William took up 

 his trail, and, at the distance of half a mile, our foe was detected under 



