THE LION. 55 



hill, with the man in his mouth, when about forty shots were 

 fired without hitting him, although some were very near. 

 Every time this happened, he turned round towards the tent, 

 and came roaring towards us; and, I am of opinion, that if 

 he had been hit, he would have rushed on the people and 

 the tent. When it became broad daylight, we perceived, by 

 the blood, and a piece of the clothes of the man, that the 

 lion had taken him away." "For the satisfaction of the 

 curious," says Sir William Jardine, "it may be mentioned, that 

 he was followed, and killed in the forenoon, over the mangled 

 remains of the unfortunate sentinel." 



A Night Mr. Gordon Gumming gives an even more thrilling 

 Surprise, account of a similar adventure of his experience. 

 He says: "About three hours after the sun went down, I 

 called to my men to come and take their coffee and supper 

 which was ready for them at my fire; and after supper, three 

 of them returned before their comrades to their own fireside 

 and lay down .... In a few minutes an ox came out by the 

 gate of the kraal and walked round the back of it. Hen- 

 drick got up and drove him again and then went back to 

 his fireside and lay down. Hendrick and Ruyter lay on one 

 side of the fire under one blanket and John Stofolus lay on 

 the other .... Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice 

 of an angry bloodthirsty lion, within a few yards of us, burst 

 upon my ear, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. 

 Again and again the murderous roar of the attack was re- 

 peated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek, 'the Lion! the 

 Lion ! . . .' Next instant John Stofolus rushed into the midst 

 of us almost speechless with fear and terror, and eyes bursting 

 from their sockets, and shrieked out, ' the lion ! the lion ! 

 He has got Hendrick, he dragged him away from the fire 

 beside me. I struck him with the burning brands upon his 

 head, but he would not let go his hold. Hendrick is dead ! 

 God ! Hendrick is dead ! Let us take fire and seek 

 him . . . . ' It appeared that when the unfortunate Hendrick 



