280 HVNTTVO ,T>VKN TT rRES. 



learn as to the nature and character of the lion, of which I had at one 

 time entertained so little fear; and en this night a horrible tragedy 

 was to be acted in my little lonely camp, of so very appalling 

 a nature as to make the blood curdle in our veins. I worked til) 

 near sundown at one side of the kraal with Hendric, my first 

 wagon-driver I cutting down the trees with my ax, and he drag- 

 ing them to the kraal. When the kraal for the cattle was finished, 

 I turned my attention to making a pot of barley-broth, and lighted 

 my fire between the wagons and the water, close on the river's 

 bank, under a dense grove of shady trees, making no sort of kraal 

 around our sitting-place for the evening. 



The Hottentots, without any reason, made their fire about fifty 

 yards from mine ; they according to their usual custom, being 

 satisfied with the shelter of a large dense bush. The evening 

 passed away cheerfully. Soon after it was dark we heard ele- 

 phants breaking the trees in the forest across the river, and once 

 or twice I strode away into the darkness some distance from the 

 fireside to stand and listen to them. I little at that moment, 

 deemed of the imminent peril to which I was exposing my life, 

 nor thought that a blood-thirsty man-eater lion was crouching near, 

 only watching his opportunity to spring into the kraal and ccnsijj.i 

 one of us to a most horrible death. About three hours after the suv 

 went down I called to my men to come and take their coffee HP<? 

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

 three of them returned before their comrades to their own fireside 

 and lay down ; these were John Stofolus, Hendric, and Ruyter 

 In a few minutes an ox came out by th^ pate of the kraal an^ 

 walked round the back of it. Hendric got up and drove him iv 

 again, and then went back to his fireside and lay down. . Hendrir 

 and Ruyter lay on one side of the fire under one blanket, and John 

 Stofolus lay on the other. At this moment I was sitting taking 

 some barley-broth ; our fire was very small, and the night \van 

 pitch-dark and windy. Owing to our proximity to the native 

 village the wood was very scarce, the Bakahalari having burned 

 h all in their fires. 



Suddenly the appaling and murderous voice of an angry, blood 



