184 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



she fell back to her former position ; her mighty arms 

 hung powerless by her side, her lower jaw fell, blood 

 streamed from her mouth, and she expired. At the 

 moment I fired my second shot, Stofolus, who hardly 

 knew whether he was alive or dead, allowed the three 

 horses to escape. These galloped frantically across the 

 plain, on which he and Kleinboy instantly started after 

 them, leaving me standing alone and unarmed within 

 a few paces of the lioness, which they, from their anx- 

 iety to be out of the way, evidently considered quite 

 capable of doing further mischief. 



Such is ever the case with these worthies, and with 

 nearly all the natives of South Africa. No reliance 

 can be placed on them. They will to a certainty for- 

 sake their master in the most dastardly manner in the 

 hour of peril, and leave him in the lurch. A stranger, 

 however, hearing these fellows recounting their own 

 gallant adventures, when sitting in the evening along 

 with their comrades round a blazing fire, or under the 

 influence of their adored " Cape smoke" or native 

 brandy, might fancy them to be the bravest of the 

 brave. Having skinned the lioness and cut off her 

 head, we placed her trophies upon Beauty and held foi 

 camp. Before we had proceeded a hundred yards from 

 the carcass, upward of sixty vultures, whom the lion- 

 ess had often fed, were feasting on her remains. 



We led poor Colesberg slowly home, where, having 

 washed his wounds and carefully stitched them togeth- 

 er, I ordered the cold water cure to be adopted. Undei 

 this treatment his wounds rapidly healed, and he event- 

 ually recovered. The sky remained overcast through- 

 out the day. When the shades of evening set in, ter- 

 ror seemed to have taken possession of the minds of my 

 followers, and thev swore that the mate of the lioness, 



