FEARFUL CATASTROPHE. ')) 



occasion, however, the horrid monster passed by the 

 oxen without molesting them, and entered the sheep 

 kraal and carried off one of its inmates, putting the 

 remainder to flight. " What with the screechings 

 of the terrified women and children," writes my 

 friend, "the hallooings of the men, the rush of the 

 cattle and the sheep, firebrands whizzing through 

 the air, the discharge of the firearms, the growls of 

 the lious, and other discordant noises, the scene 

 was one which baffles description. I levelled my 

 rifle at the marauder as he was passing the waggon, 

 not above five paces distant; but my gun unfor- 

 tunately missed fire, and, when I again pulled the 

 trigger, he had disappeared in the darkness. This 

 lion was almost immediately joined by his com- 

 panion, when they set up a roaring duet that lasted, 

 with very little intermission, until break of day. 

 Continued discharges of firearms kept them from 

 doing further mischief." 



The particulars of the second catastrophe in my 

 friend's encampment, which occurred at an after- 

 period, he communicated to me by letter in the fol- 

 lowing words : 



"At about ]] o'clock, P.M., 1 was startled out of 

 my sleep by a fearful shriek, such as I had only 

 once before heard uttered by a human being. The 

 thought at once struck me that the two notorious 

 'man-caters,' who had enacted so horrible a, tragedy 

 in my bivouac on a former occasion, were again 

 prowling about, and had perhaps seized some of the 

 Bushmen lately come to pay me a visit, and who 

 were encamped at the back of my kraal. Snatching 



