NOT TO BE TAKEN ABACK. 403 



associates thus unexpectedly met, are ever the cause of 

 conversation becoming fluent, and a pleasant night being 

 passed. Thus we were enjoying ourselves, when I 

 heard well, a low, heavy, suppressed breathing, and a 

 rustling, as if some large body were forcing a passage 

 through the bushes. My ears of late had been too well 

 accustomed to such sounds not to know what they indi- 

 cated, so not to alarm the others, I quietly asked them 

 to excuse my stepping over the fire between them, as I 

 wished to turn my face in the other direction. I did so, 

 and put down my stool. Both my new friends looked 

 at me with surprise then one of them remarked, " You 

 had some object in that ; you did it in such a methodical 

 manner." To this I agreed, and added, " There is a lion 

 behind me, and if he meditates mischief, I would sooner 

 be attacked in front than in rear." " You must be 

 mistaken, you are most assuredly deceived, it would 

 never think of coming so near our fires." And at this 

 moment a large white dog, belonging to Mr. Curtin 

 a cross between the greyhound and mastiff rushed 

 from beneath the wagon, where he had been sleeping, 

 dashed into the bush, and commenced to bay some 

 animal, that evidently had no intention of giving way, 

 and which he was unable to attack. 



We left our seats and retired to the wagon, and 

 under its shelter smoked our pipes to the -end ; however, 

 we had not got quite so far in the enjoyment of the 

 weed when the lion, finding himself discovered, got up, 

 walked off" a few paces, and then placing his mouth to 

 the ground awoke the sleeping echoes that lurked around 

 the neighbouring coppies. 



Curtin was tired and went to roost, Catenby came 

 with me to my wagon, because it occupied the point of 

 A A 2 



