A USEFUL ATTENDANT. 289 



a small supply, from the quantity of beasts I 

 possessed, had to be raised upwauds of thirty feet, so 

 my people were kept busy till a very late hour. This 

 was the most liony-looking outspanning place I had 

 ever encountered, and it was so situated that nothing 

 that I could do would make it more secure, if I 

 except keeping up giant fires throughout the darkness. 

 Somehow or other, I had a presentiment of a mishap, 

 so I kept moving about throughout the night, but 

 nought occurred to justify my uneasiness. The cattle 

 were again in their yokes by daylight, and never do I 

 remember to have bid adieu to a camp with greater 

 pleasure. Nor was my dread without cause, for the 

 Massara, soon after starting, pointed out the unmistak- 

 able spoor of a family party of lions, that no doubt 

 would have paid us a nocturnal visit, but for the precau- 

 tion I had taken of keeping up a blaze that made all 

 the surroundings so distinct, that no large animal could 

 possibly have come near without being detected. 



The country during the early part of the day was 

 most monotonous and uninteresting ; moreover, the 

 sky was lowering and overcast, yet no wind worthy 

 of notice blew ; in consequence, the heat was intense 

 and most overpowering. The interior of my waggon 

 was stifling, and the cattle suffered from the weight 

 of the draught, as the sand was touching the spokes 

 almost without intermission ; thus I ordered everyone 

 to walk, while I mounted one of the horses. I was 

 attended by a "handy boy" who made himself use- 

 ful in many ways, without having any special duties. 

 He could speak English fairly well, and had not been 

 spoiled by residing on the verge of civilization ; more- 

 over, he was a plucky fellow too, and could use a 

 gun fairly well, so would have been more often in my 

 society than he was, but for the jealousy of William, 

 who appeared to think that when his special duties 

 were over, he had a right to be in personal attendance 

 upon the master. 



U 



