Chap. XXIX.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 259 



interview the following morning, Richardson and 

 myself were suddenly made aware of the monster's 

 presence by perceiving a pair of gooseberry eyes 

 glaring upon us from beneath a shady bush ; and 

 instantly upon reining up our horses, the grim 

 savage bolted out with a roar, like thunder, and 

 bounded across the plain with the agility of a grey- 

 hound. The luxuriant beauty of his shaggy black 

 mane, which almost swept the ground, tempted us, 

 contrary to established rule, to give him battle, with 

 the design of obtaining possession of his spoils ; and 

 he no sooner felt himself hotly pursued than he 

 faced about, and stood at bay in a mimosa grove, 

 measuring the strength of his assailants with a port 

 the most noble and imposing. Disliking our ap- 

 I3earance, however, and not relishing the smell of 

 gunpowder, he soon abandoned the grove, and took 

 up his position on the summit of an adjacent stony 

 hill, the base of which being thickly clothed with 

 thorn trees, we could only obtain a view of him from 

 the distance of three hundred yards. Crouched on 

 this fortified pinnacle, like the sculptured figure at 

 the entrance of a nobleman's park, the enemy dis- 

 dainfully surveyed us for several minutes, daring us 

 to approach with an air of conscious power and pride, 

 which well beseemed his grizzled form. As the rifle 

 balls struck the ground nearer and nearer at each 

 discharge, his wrath, as indicated by his glistening 

 eyes, increased roar, and impatient switching of the 

 tail, was clearly getting the mastery over his pm- 

 dence. Presently a shot broke his leg. Down he 



