Chaf IX.J southern AFRICA. 69 



CHAPTER IX. 



HUNTING AT MERITSANE. 



On opening 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 tre?s which offered a good 

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

 more than probable he had beau 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 dis- 

 turbed a large lion, which walked slowly off, 

 occasionally stopping and looking over his shoulder, 

 as he deliberately ascended the opposite bank. 

 In the course of half an hour, I reached the end of 

 the dense jungle, and immediately discovered the 

 waggon 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 



