136 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



plenished, and so burned up into a brighter flame. 

 Occasionally I got a glimpse of an animal, but dis- 

 covered, in time to prevent my firing, that it was 

 only one of the satellites waiting for his turn to 

 participate in the feast. At intervals I could dis- 

 tinctly hear the breaking of something, I surmised 

 it to be the bones of the victim; my followers were of 

 the same opinion. These ominous sounds proceeded 

 from the back of a large rock, encased in creeping 

 plants. To get the utmost advantage to be derived 

 from the light, we approached it from the lower 

 side. For a second or two I saw a yellow moving 

 mass ; the next instant it was out of sight. It was, 

 unquestionably, the lioness that had so persistently 

 haunted our camp. So brief was the view I obtained 

 of her, that I had not even time to fire a snap shot 

 if I had desired to do so, but I resolved from the 

 outset, not to press a trigger until I had reason to 

 feel satisfied, that my aim would either kill the brute 

 outright, or so maim it as to render it incapable of 

 further mischief. No, the enemy had escaped, but 

 the remains of the victim were left, a fearfully lace- 

 rated, mutilated, and unsightly corpse. To have 

 told that the mass before us had been a living human 

 being, in all the enjoyment of health and strength, 

 scarcely an hour before, would have defied anyone 

 not skilled in anatomy. I ordered it to be carried 

 to camp. The hyaenas followed close on our heels, 

 expressing their disapproval of our proceedings by 



