60 THE LION. 



fence around this, our sitting place for the evening 1 . 

 " The Hottentots, without any reason, made their 

 fire about fifty paces from mine; they, according to 

 their usual custom, being satisfied with the shelter of a 

 large dense bush. The evening passed away cheer- 

 fully. Soon after it was dark we heard elephants 

 breaking the trees in the forest across the river; 

 and once or twice I strode away into the dark- 

 ness some distance from the fireside, to stand and 

 listen to them. I little, at that moment, imagined 



* O 



the imminent peril to which I was exposing my 

 life, or thought that a blood thirsty ' man-eater ' 

 lion was couching near, and only watching his 

 opportunity to consign one of us to a most 

 horrible death. About three hours after the sun 

 went down, I called my men to come and take 

 their coffee and supper, which was ready for them 

 at my fire, and after supper three of them re- 

 turned before their comrades to their own fireside 

 and lay down : these were John Stofolus, Ilendrich, 

 and Ruyter. In a few minutes an ox came out 

 by the gate of the 'kraal' and walked round the 

 back of it, Hendrich got up and drove him in 

 again, and then went back to his fireside and lay 

 down. Hendrich 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 pitchy dark and windy. Owing to our 

 proximity to the village the wood was very scarce, 

 the Bakalahari having burnt it all in their fires. 

 " Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice 



