The Lion 115 



without expecting it, I fell asleep again, and did not wake 

 any more that night. 



" There was little to tell when morning did break. The 

 lion had hit upon the most crowded hut of all, the one in 

 which the people who had given place to us were sleeping 

 in addition to its regular owners, and had picked out a 

 young married woman, taking her from among several, 

 without injuring any one else ; as they said — 'a man does 

 not stab more than one of his herd of cattle when he is 

 hungry.' 



" Previous to this, on my first arrival, the head man of 

 the district had come and asked me whether I would assist 

 him to destroy this brute, as, if so, he would turn out with 

 all his people, and beat up the country until it was found ; 

 and in point of fact we had already done this, on the occa- 

 sion of the chief's uncle having been carried off ; but the 

 ground was so dry and hard then that our best spoorers 

 failed to hit off the track. To-day, however, as the rain 

 had ceased a few minutes after its departure, there could 

 be no doubt about finding it, and as soon as I awoke I sent 

 off to the chief to ask him to come with his men, saying 

 that, whether he had arrived or not, I should take up the 

 trail at nine o'clock. 



"I did not at this time know that the woman who was the 

 last victim was his relation, but when my messenger came 

 back and told me so, adding that the chief was fearfully 

 angry, it did not surprise me to hear that runners had been 

 sent out already, and that he had threatened to drive out of 

 the country any one old enough to carry a spear who 

 remained behind, and that if I could wait until the sun had 



