EXERCISING MY PATIENCE. 1 99 



for the sportsman, I commenced to feel the awkward- 

 ness of my situation, and an irresistible craving for 

 sleep. The latter I fought against for some time ; 

 at length nature gave way, and I slept — more than 

 that, dreamed. From this happy state I was 

 awakened by a pull at my hand. For some minutes 

 I could not recall my scattered senses ; at length a 

 more violent pluck caused me to comprehend my 

 position, and the object for which I occupied it. 

 Now I could distinctly hear suppressed growls, and 

 a rending sound, as if the flesh of the heifer was 

 being torn from the bones. To get a better view of 

 what was going on, I turned upon my couch, when 

 every stick that composed it, most inopportunely 

 seemed to crack. This untimely noise caused the 

 feeders to cease their operations for a few minutes, 

 as if enquiry was being made, who is the intruder ? 

 Silence, however, appeared to reassure the beast, for 

 the sounds were renewed. 



For the life of me I could not make out the out- 

 line of an individual animal. All seemed a black 

 mass, but that mass very much larger than the bait 

 could possibly be. I felt that it was utterly pre- 

 posterous to fire under such circumstances, so 

 waited ; waited, ever inwardly praying that better 

 light would be granted me. My patience was terribly 

 exercised, and no wonder ; within twenty yards 

 were several lions, and I was perfectly incapable of 

 harming them. About this time the sound of break- 



