A MAN-EATER LION. 



175 



being made fast to a trek-tow stretched between the 

 hind wheels of the wagons. I liad yet, however, a fear- 

 ful lesson to learn as to the nature and character of the 

 lion, of which I had at one time entertained so little 

 fear ; and on this night a horrible tragedy was to be 

 acted in my little lonely camp of so very awful and 

 appalling a nature as to make the blood curdle in our 

 veins. I worked till near sundown at one side of the 

 kraal with Hendric, my first wagon-driver — I cutting 

 down the trees with my ax, and he dragging them to 

 the kraal. When the kraal for the cattle was finished, 

 I turned my attention to making a pot of barley-broth, 

 and lighted a fire between the wagons and the water, 

 close on the river's bank, under a dense grove of shady 

 trees, making no sort of kraal around our sitting-place 

 for the evening. 



The Hottentots, without any reason, made their fire 

 about fifty yards from mine ; they, according to their 

 usual custom, being satisfied with the shelter of a large 

 dense bush. The evening passed away cheerfully. 

 Soon after it was dark we heard elephants breaking 

 the trees in the forest across the river, and once or twice 

 I strode away into the darkness some distance from the 

 fireside to stand and listen to them. I little, at that 

 moment, deemed of the imminent peril to which I was 

 exposing my life, nor thought that a blood-thirsty man- 

 eater lion was crouching near, and only watching his 

 opportunity to spring into the kraal, and consign one 

 of us to a most horrible death. About three hours after 

 the sun went down I called to my men to come and 

 take their coflfee and supper, which was ready for them 

 at my fire ; and after supper three of them returned 

 before their comrades to their own fireside, and lay 

 down ; these were John Stofolus, Hendric, and Ruy- 



