234 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



convulsive apnng backward, at the same time giving a fearful 

 shriek, such as I never before remember uttering. I fancied just 

 as he growled that he was coming upon me. We now heaped on 

 more wood, and kept up a very strong fire until the day dawned, 

 the lions feasting beside us all the time, notwithstanding the remon- 

 strances of the little native, who, with a true Bechuana spirit 

 lamenting the loss of so much good flesh, kept continually shout- 

 ing and pelting them with flaming brands. 



The next morning, when it was clear, I arose and inspected the 

 buffaloes. The three that had fallen were fine old cows, and two 

 of them were partly consumed by the lions. The ground all 

 around was packed flat with their spoor; one particular spoor was 

 nearly as large as that of a borele. I then proceeded to inspect 

 the steeds : the sand around them was also covered with the lion's 

 spoor. He had sprung upon the Old Gray, but had done him no 

 further injury than scratching his back through the skin : perhaps 

 the lion had been scared by the rheims, or, on discovering hit 

 spare condition, had preferred the buffalo. 



