HYENAS AND CHILDREN 255 



poor little thing, either to be put to death at once, or, if 

 she preferred it, to be turned loose in the forests, and 

 there to run her chance of being eaten by wild beasts, or 

 dying of starvation. 



It did not take the little girl long to make up her mind, 

 neither did she waste any time in weeping over her dread- 

 ful fate. Although only eight years old, she had heard of 

 the fame and the kindness of the white men, and she at 

 once determined to go in search of their station. What 

 a terrible journey that must have been ! The station was 

 many miles away, and to reach it, the child, badly injured 

 as she was, and still suffering from the shock of the attack, 

 had to pass through woods haunted by the most savage 

 beasts, and to climb through deep glens, where an enemy 

 might be lurking behind every rock. But somehow or 

 other she did it, and arrived at the station in a fearful 

 condition of pain and hunger, covered with fourteen large 

 wounds from the teeth of the hyenas. At first it seemed 

 impossible that she could live, but, wonderful to say, in the 

 end, she not only recovered from her injuries, but bore 

 hardly any signs of them, except some scars. 



In spite of his ugly, ill-shapen form, few animals 

 are quicker of movement than a hyena, and, cowardly 

 though they are, their skill in dodging often enables 

 them to get the better of their enemies. When Mr. 

 Selous was on one of his expeditions in Mashonaland, 

 the camp was disturbed for several nights by the know- 

 ledge that a hyena was prowling round, in the fond hope 

 of catching them napping. He had not, however, shown 

 as much cunning as usual, for the moon was still bright, 

 and it was easy for the dogs to stop his proceedings. 



At length a night came when the moon did not rise 

 till ten, and, as near the equator it always gets dark early, 

 it was necessary to shut up the camp at sunset to defend 

 it against wild beasts. So the waggon was, as usual, 

 placed iD the middle, and the horses tied up just beyond, 

 with then.- maize porridge cooling beside them on the hide 



