An Unlucky Trip 61 



wood. There were no iron axles in use then, so I 

 had to pile the whole load in front and could only 

 travel slowly until I got to Venter's, near Rhenoster- 

 poort, where I had a new one made. Some nights 

 after this accident we could only get as far as the 

 heights above " Deelkraal," near what is now 

 ** Eersteling," when it got late, so I had to outspan 

 without water, to allow the oxen a little time for 

 grazing before being tied up, as it was notoriously 

 bad lion veld. Before it was dark, the brutes began 

 to roar on all sides, and the wounded Kaffir was 

 jibbering from fear. Before the moon rose, I fancied 

 the oxen were restless and as I was sitting on the 

 chest in front of the w^igon putting my "veld- 

 schoens " on, when right in front of me, a lion made 

 a spring at one of the after oxen, which was tied to 

 the " dissel-boom." It was dark and he missed the 

 ox, so before he could recover, I put a shot into him. 

 The blood next morning showed that he was badly 

 hurt. He drew off into some old stone kraals and lay 

 growling, but did not come again,though two lionesses 

 kept me going all night. I lit a strong lantern, and 

 put it on top of the wagon, when they kept chasing 

 my dogs to within the radius of the light. I fired at 

 their dim forms several times ; I think I hit one once, 

 by her growling in rage, and next morning found 

 the blood spoor but could not find either of the 

 wounded ones, though I prevented them from taking 

 any of the oxen, which were tied up to the wheels 

 with two buffalo " reims " each. Next morning the 

 oxen overtired as they were, wanted to stampede, 

 whenever a bird flew out of the grass. When oxen 

 get panicky for lions, they are dangerous. I was 

 much relieved when I got rid of the wounded boy at 

 Rhenosterpoort, and got a less frightened one to help 

 me on to Zoutpansberg and Albasini's in the 

 Speloken, which was my destination. 



