282 "Kings of tbe 1Rot>, IRtfle, anfc Gun 



nor listened in vain. I heard her growling and 

 stationary, as if dying. In one minute her comrade 

 crossed the vley, a little below me, and made towards 

 the rhinoceros. I then slipped Wolf and Boxer on 

 her scent, and following them into the cover, I found 

 her lying dead within twenty yards of where the old 

 lion had lain two nights before. This was a fine 

 old lioness with perfect teeth, and was certainly a noble 

 prize ; but I felt dissatisfied at not having shot a lion 

 which I had most certainly done if my Hottentot had 

 not destroyed my contemplation." 



But our hero's most tragic adventure with a lion was 

 the following, the appalling recollection of which, he 

 tells us, long haunted him and left an impression which 

 he was never able wholly to shake off : 



"About three hours after sundown I called to my 

 men to come and take their coffee and supper, which 

 was ready for them at my fire ; and after supper, three 

 of them returned before their comrades to their own 

 fireside, and lay down. These were John Stofolus, 

 Hendrick and Ruyter. In a few minutes an ox came 

 out by the gate of the kraal, and walked round the 

 back of it. Hendrick got up and drove him in again, 

 and then went back to his fireside and lay down. 

 Hendrick and Ruyter lay on one side of the fire 

 under one blanket, and John Stofolus lay on the other. 

 At this moment I was sitting taking some barley-broth ; 

 our fire was very small, and the night was pitch-dark 

 and windy. . . . 



Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an 

 angry, bloodthirsty lion burst upon my ear, within a 



