THE LION. 121 



heard them from the lips of the actors themselves. In these narratives, the characters of both 

 man and beast are well shown. 



ANT person who has mixed much with either Dutch, Hottentot, or Kaffir sportsmen, is 

 sure to have heard many exciting and curious adventures connected with the chase of the 

 Lion. From amongst a somewhat large stock I wiU now select one or two anecdotes which 

 will serve to illustrate either the habits and character of the animal, or the method of hunting 

 him. 



"A soldier, belonging to a line regiment, had heard that a great quantity of money might 

 be obtained from amongst the Dutch Boers in the interior, by various simple processes with 

 which he fancied himself acquainted. 



"Selecting a favorable opportunity, he deserted, taking care to well fill his haversack 

 with meat, to serve him during his march across the wild uninhabited district which separated 

 the Dutch locations from our frontier. 



''The soldier marched, during two days, some sixty miles or so, taking care when he slept 

 to place the bag containing his meat under his head. On the third or fourth night, he lay 

 down as usual to rest, with his head upon his pillow. It happened that in the country to 

 which he belonged Lions were very common, and one of these unwelcome visitors happened to 

 be prowling about in search of a supper, and dropped upon the military hero who was quietly 

 snoring. 



"Whether the Lion were aware of the fierce calling of the sleeper, and therefore paid him 

 some respect, is not mentioned ; but, instead of carrying off the man, he merely clawed up the 

 bag, and trotted away growling with his trophy. The only damage that he had inflicted on 

 the soldier was the abstraction of a few inches of his scalp. 



"A Dutch Boer found the deserter wandering half starved on the plain, where he had 

 been without food for a day and a night. The Boer fed and doctored him, but in return made 

 him act as leader to the oxen and wagon, a position considered by the Dutch Boers to be the 

 most degrading to man." 



" NEAR the sources of the Mooi river there are several extensive plains on which large 

 herds of elands and hartebeest were formerly found. Bordering on these plains are several 

 ranges of hills, spurs from the Quathlomba mountains, and between these rocky spurs, kloofs 

 or ravines exist, affording shelter for bush-buck, buffaloes, and many other animals which 

 seek cover amongst either reeds or bushes. 



" At the time when the following scene occurred, there was scarcely an inhabitant in this 

 locality besides a few Welshmen, who resided amongst the stony hills, and lived by the chase, 

 and two or three Dutch Boers, the remnants of those who had accompanied Maritz in his 

 migration from the old colony. 



' ' The Dutchmen had built themselves some wattle-and-daub huts, and were contented to 

 remain where they were, as hunting and grazing-grounds were plentiful. A few thefts per- 

 formed by their little neighbors, the Bushmen, had caused a commando to be raised, and, 

 during the invasion of the hills that were then occupied by these little men, a boy had been 

 captured by one of the Boers, and had been retained as a domestic. This individual will 

 figure in the following scene with the Lion. 



" One evening, whilst one of these Boers was sitting with his son, a lad of about sixteen 

 years of age, in front of his hut, smoking his stone pipe, and looking with pride upon his 

 sleek herds which grazed about him, he noticed some object that moved slowly along the side 

 of an old watercourse at a considerable distance from him. A telescope was an article of value 

 which few of these residents possessed ; it was therefore by patient watching only that the 

 father and son at length discovered that the object was a Lion, which appeared to be carefully 

 stalking a valuable black stallion grazing near the old watercourse. Instantly seizing their 

 guns, which were as usual loaded and at hand, the two ran down towards the Lion, shouting 

 as they went to the Hottentots who were engaged about the farm. 



"These individuals did not appear to be anxious about hurrying towards the scene of 



