206 THRILLING ADVENTURES 



ing my eyes, my first thought was of my horse. I started 

 from my heathy bed in the hope of finding him where I had 

 last seen him, but his place was empty. I roamed every 

 where in search of him, and ascended trees which offered a 

 good look-out, but he was no where to be seen. It was more 

 than probable he had been eaten by lions, and I had almost 

 given up the search in despair, when I at length found his 

 foot-mark, and traced him to a deep hollow near the river 

 where he was quietly grazing. The night's rest, if so it could 

 be called, had restored him to strength, and I pursued my 

 journey along the bank of the river, which I now re-crossed 

 opposite to the site of some former scene of strife, marked by 

 numerous human skeletons, bleached by exposure. A little 

 further on I disturbed a large lion, which walked slowly off, 

 occasionally stopping and looking over his shoulder, as he de- 

 liberately ascended the opposite bank. In the course of half 

 an hour, I reached the end of the dense jungle, and imme- 

 diately discovered the wagon road ; but as I could detect no 

 recent traces upon it, I turned to the southward, and after 

 riding seven or eight miles in the direction of Sicklagole, had 

 the unspeakable satisfaction of perceiving the wagons drawn 

 up under a large tree in the middle of the plain. The dis- 

 charge of my rifle at a little distance had relieved the anx- 

 iety of my companions and followers, who during the night 

 had entertained the most gloomy forebodings on my account, 

 being convinced that I had either been torn piecemeal by 

 lions, or speared by the assagais of the cannibals ! A cup 

 of coffee was immediately offered me, which as I had scarcely 

 tasted nourishment for thirty hours proved highly grateful ; 

 and I learned that Richardson had been obliged to halt in 

 the plain in the preceding night, in consequence of the great 

 length of the march, and the darkness overtaking him. This 

 accounted for my not meeting him on the river bank, which 

 we again reached in about two hours, encamping under a 

 grove of spreading mokaala trees. 



