16 i THE LION. 



had passed out through his right haunch. It was, 

 therefore, to me matter of wonder that he had so 

 long survived his wound. 



This was decidedly the most exciting hunting 

 scene I ever witnessed. Besides my own people, 

 more than one hundred Damaras, (chiefly belonging 

 to a caravan bound for the Ovampo country, and 

 whose encampment was next to my own), were in 

 the field vociferating frightfully, and waving and 

 darting their ox-tailed plumaged assegais about with 

 a ferocity and earnestness that would have made a 

 stranger think they were preparing for some dread- 

 ful battle. Nearly as many more men, to say 

 nothing of a host of women and children, were seen 

 hastening towards us from the two camps, which 

 were in full view. Indeed, before the lion had 

 breathed his last, more than three hundred human 

 beings were on the spot. 



Having giving the needful orders as to the disposal 

 of our prize, we took up the trail of the other lion 

 who, to judge from the quantity of blood lost, must 

 have been seriously wounded. Tracking him for 

 about half a mile, we came up wit.i him in a dense 

 bush. Scared, however, by the tremendous noise 

 made by the Damaras, and not having a sufficient 

 number of dogs left, the greater part having re- 

 turned home, to bring him to bay, he managed to 

 escape us. Once, indeed, we caught sight of tho 

 beast whilst he was crossing a small opening, but 

 here the cover becoming thicker than ever we left 

 him. The chase, though a short one, was exceed- 

 ingly animate ; and had 1 been alone, that is, with 



