ESCAPE OF HANS. I'.'? 



A largo troop of lions that had been feasting on 

 a giraffe in the early morning, had obliterated his 

 tracks; and it was not until some days after- 

 wards, when the carcase was in a state of de- 

 composition, that his death was ascertained, lie 

 breathed his last very near to where we were 

 " at fault ; " but, in prosecuting the search, we 

 had unfortunately taken exactly the opposite di- 

 rection. 



The escape of Hans, my faithful follower who, 

 as elsewhere said, was a most daring and successful 

 hunter from the jaws of an infuriated lion, was 

 also very remarkable. He told me the story as we 

 were one day passing in company the spot where 

 the incident occurred, and I give it in his o\vn 

 words : 



" I was riding on 'ox-back' during broad day- 

 light," said he, " along the dry bed of the Swakop, 

 when I saw something dusky by the side of an 

 acacia tree two hundred yards off. This was a lion. 

 lie rose and "walked leisurely towards me. I had 

 my ' gun-bag ' by the side of the saddle, and rode 

 on, for there is no use in provoking hostilities sin- 

 gle-handed with a lion unless some object is to be 

 gained, as every sportsman at length acknowledges. 

 The coolest hand and the best shot are never safe, 

 for a bullet, however well aimed, is not certain to 

 disable the beast. After the lion had walked some 

 twenty or thirty yards, the ox on which I was 

 mounted either saw or smelt him, and became 

 furious. I had enough to do to keep my seat, for a 

 powerful long-horned ox tossing his head about, 



