31 8 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



hyaenas made themselves scarce, and I had not even 

 the satisfaction of getting a shot at one. We found 

 little more than the skulls of the two sound donkeys ; 

 but, strange to say, the one that had been bitten 

 before, and whose wounds I had sewed up, was 

 standing under a bush not far off", and had never been 

 interfered with at all. Slowly and sadly I led him 

 back, cursing hyenas and Kafirs both loudly and 

 deeply. The two Batonga boys, in whose charge 

 the donkeys had been, had both bolted, nor did they 

 return. I believe that I myself unwittingly con- 

 tributed to the danger my donkeys ran from these 

 ravenous beasts. When the first one was killed, I 

 wished to poison all that remained of him. Now, I 

 had with me two cartridge cases, one containing 

 tartar emetic, and the other crystals of strychnine. 

 When I opened the cartridges the crystals had turned 

 to powder, and for the Hfe of me I could not tell 

 which was tartar emetic and which strychnine ; and, 

 as both are disagreeable in their effects, I did not 

 care about taking a dose to settle the question. So 

 I tossed up which I should use — heads for the one, 

 tails for the other. I set nine baits, and dosed them 

 with the contents of the winning cartridge, which, I 

 think, must have been tartar emetic. All the baits 

 were taken ; the emetic no doubt having produced 

 its natural effect, and the hyasnas, by severe vomiting, 

 having been rendered even more ravenous than they 

 were before. 



December 13///. — Started for the Manica country, 

 under the guidance of four Shakundas that Mendon9a 

 gave me, though at considerable inconvenience to 

 himself. Old Canyemba was going in himself in a 

 {q.sm days on a hunting expedition, with a large body 

 of men, and Mendonc;a thought it advisable for us 



