THE "MAN-EATER" SLAIN. G3 



large flaming brand belaboured him on the head 

 with the burning wood ; but the brute did not 

 take any notice of him. The Bushman had a nar- 

 row escape, the lion having inflicted two gashes in 

 his seat with his claws. 



" The next morning, just as the day began to 

 dawn, we heard the lion draor<nn something up the 



o o o o I 



river-side, under cover of the bank. AVe drove the 

 cattle out of the kraal, and then proceeded to in- 

 spect the scene of the night's awful tragedy. In 

 the hollow, where the lion had lain consuming his 

 prey, we found one leg of the unfortunate Ileudrich, 

 bitten off below the knee, the shoe still on the foot, 

 and fragments -of the pea-coat lay around. Poor 

 Hendrich ! I knew the fragments of that old coat, 

 and had often marked them hanging in the dense 

 covers where the elephant had charged after my 

 unfortunate after-rider. Hendrich was by far the 

 best man 1 had about my waggon, of a most cheer- 

 ful disposition, a first-rate waggon-driver, fearless 

 in the field, ever active, willing, and obliging; his 

 loss to us all was very serious. I felt confounded 

 and utterly sick in my heart." 



It is satisfactory to add that the poor Hottentot, 

 who met so horrible a death, was revenged on the 

 afternoon of the following day, when (Jonlon dim- 

 ming gallantly attacked and slew the " man-eater." 



Happily, I may here remark in parenthesis, a 

 similar calamity to those just recorded never 

 occurred in my own encampment, though on 

 various occasions, during the hours of darkness, 

 lions have prowled about in its immediate vicinity, 



