238 THE WILD. 



nal adventure witli tlie wilde lionden in Africa? He was 

 watching for game in a hole which he had dug by a pool 

 in that romantic fashion ah^eady alluded to, and, having 

 shot a gnu, had put down his rifle without reloading it, 

 and dropped asleej). 



He had not slept long before his slumbers were dis- 

 turbed by strange sounds. He dreamed that lions were 

 rushing about in quest of him, till,* the sounds increasing, 

 he awoke with a sudden start, uttering a loud shriek. He 

 heard the rushing of light feet on every side, accompanied 

 by the most unearthly noises, and, on raising his head, to 

 his utter horror, saw himself surrounded by trooj)S of what 

 the colonists call wild dogs, a savage animal between a 

 wolf and a hyena. To the right and left, and within a few 

 paces of the bold hunter, stood two lines of these ferocious- 

 looking animals, cocking their ears and stretching their 

 necks to have a look at him ; wdiile two large troops, con- 

 taining forty at least, kept dashing backwards and for- 

 w^ards across his wind, chattering and growling wdth the 

 most extraordinary volubility. Another trooj) of the wild 

 dogs were fighting over the gnu that had been shot ; and, 

 on beholding them, the exj)ectation of being himself pre- 

 sently torn in pieces made the blood curdle over his 

 cheeks, and the hair bristle on his head. 



In this dilemma the experienced hunter bethought 

 himself of the power of the human voice and a deter- 

 mined bearing in overawing brute animals ; and, spring- 

 ing to his feet, he stepped upon the little ledge surround- 

 ing the hole, when drawing himself up to his full height. 



