46 AFRICAN NATURE NOTES chap. 



which had been gathering all the afternoon, burst 

 forth with terrific violence. The rain fell in sheets, 

 soon extinguishing the fires that had been lighted 

 by the Kafirs, and the blinding flashes of lightning 

 which continually lit up both heaven and earth with 

 blue-white light were quickly succeeded by crashing 

 peals of thunder. 



The storm had lasted some time and the rain 

 had almost ceased, when the ox which was tied up 

 all alone to the after yoke of the waggon began to 

 jump backwards and forwards over the disselboom 

 — the waggon pole. 



Cross, who was then lying down inside the 

 waggon, raised himself to a sitting position, and 

 whilst calling to the ox to quiet it, crawled forward, 

 and raising the fore sheet, looked out. Just then 

 a vivid flash of lightning lit up the inky blackness 

 of the night just for one brief moment. But the 

 brilliant light revealed to my friend every detail of 

 the surrounding landscape, and showed him with 

 startling distinctness the form of a big male lion 

 lying flat on the ground not ten yards in front of 

 the frightened ox, which it would probably already 

 have seized, had it not been for Cross's loud shout- 

 ing. The lion had been no doubt creeping silently 

 towards its would-be prey, which had already 

 become aware of its proximity, when my friend's 

 voice caused it to halt and lie flat on the ground 

 watching. By this time Cross's dog, a well-bred 

 pointer, which had been lying on the driver's 

 blankets under the waggon, had become aware 

 that something was wrong — though the lion was 

 no doubt making its approach against the wind — 

 and was standing just behind the ox, growling. 



Directly the position of the lion was revealed to 

 him by the lightning, Cross seized his rifle, and 

 calling to the waggon-driver to jump up and hold 

 his horse, took aim in the direction of the crouching 



