72 Recollections of Adventures 



all were past. Old Watt who was some distance 

 behind, escaped this extra little excitement. 



We rode on fast and got through the Moord 

 Drift but we met no kaffirs, though they must have 

 seen us from a distance, as they commenced blowing 

 their war horns in the hills. We came to a deep 

 rivulet with green grass on the banks ; I off saddled 

 our poor horses in the bottom of the gully where 

 they had a good feed and water ; and we a bad 

 breakfast ; then on again to a small stream on Blood 

 River highveld, where we again off saddled, and I 

 lay down to rest, Watt being already asleep, as 

 usual, the log ! Fancying that I heard my horses 

 snort, I jumped up, saw both my horses with their 

 heads up, watching something, and I noticed some 

 vultures on a small tree. I went to turn the horses, 

 when I saw two lion cubs lying under the tree 

 in a small hollow, and following the horses gaze, 

 saw to my horror a lioness, a few hundred yards 

 up the gulley, watching her cubs, and also the 

 horses. I had no choice but to walk away from the 

 cubs and get between the lioness and the horses, as, 

 if she killed them, I was a " gone coon " anyway. 

 I got in front of the horses, turning them slowly 

 towards the saddles, and I think the cubs saved me, 

 as the lioness looked less savage when I went away 

 from them, but the fright stopped a year's growth. 

 No wonder I am white haired after all the scares I 

 have had I I " up saddled " at once, old Watt's two 

 horses were showing signs of fatigue, and we had to 

 ride all down the Blood River in the dark, through a 

 country full of lions, all the way to old Piet Venter's, 

 where we arrived about midnight. I was about 

 done up and slept till late next morning. Old 

 Venter was astonished that we got through alive ; 

 the next day I deposited the old wretch Watt at 



