176 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



ter. In a few minutes an ox came out by the gate of 

 the kraal and walked round the back of it. Hendrio 

 got up and drove him in again, and then went back to 

 his fireside and lay down. Hendric and Ruyter lay 

 on one side of the fire under one blanket, and John 

 Stofolus lay on the other. At this moment I was sit- 

 ting taking some barley-broth ; our fire was very small, 

 and the night was pitch-dark and windy. Owing to 

 our proximity to the native village the wood was very 

 scarce, the Bakalahari having burned it all in their 

 fires. 



Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an 

 angry, blood-thirsty lion burst upon my ear within a few 

 yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. 

 Again and again the murderous roar of attack was re- 

 peated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek " The 

 lion ! the lion !" still, for a few moments, we thought 

 he was but chasing one of the dogs round the kraal ; 

 but, next instant, John Stofolus rushed into the midst 

 of us almost speechless with fear and terror, his eyes 

 bursting from their sockets, and shrieked out, " The 

 Hon ! the lion ! He has got Hendric ; he dragged him 

 away from the fire beside me. I struck him with the 

 burning brands upon his head, but he would not let go 

 his hold. Hendric is dead! Oh God ! Hendric is dead ! 

 Let us take fire and seek him !" The rest of my peo- 

 ple rushed about, shrieking and yelling as if they were 

 mad. I was at once angry with them for their folly, 

 and told them that if they did not stand still and keep 

 quiet the lion would have another of us ; and that very 

 likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, 

 which were nearly all fast, to je made loose, and the 

 fire to be increased as far as could be. I then shouted 

 Hendric's name, but all was still. I told my men that 



