90 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



been gratified by this addition to our larder, it in no 

 way operated against my friend having a good crow 

 over his success. So then my adventure with the 

 borcle was told, which resulted in taking my irrepres- 

 sible friend down a peg or two. 



Over our nightcaps of brandy and water, which 

 by universal consent were increased to a double 

 allowance, our battles were fought over again, and 

 we altogether had a most jovial night till " the wee 

 small hours " had been reached. 



Unanimously we had agreed to turn in without 

 further delay, and were putting our resolve in prac- 

 tice, when a loud yell, followed by a babel of shouts, 

 came from the Mantatees'camp outside our enclosure. 

 In a moment all were on their feet, the Zulus grasped 

 their assegais, we in turn seized our rifles, then 

 demanded what was the cause of the disturbance. 

 So many answers were made, and that in a language 

 which at the best of times was far from being 

 thoroughly understood, that for some time we were 

 kept in ignorance. At length the Zulus, after a 

 display of much patience, solved the enigma. A 

 lioness, which had given no end of trouble during 

 our absence, had walked deliberately into the 

 Mantatees' camp, and had been discovered within a 

 few feet of one of the natives, endeavouring to claw 

 a piece of flesh out of a mimosa tree that grew in 

 their midst. On detection, the intruder had retired 

 a few paces, showed her teeth, and otherwise ex- 



