56 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



utter madness to have risked my life or any of my 

 people's to drive the lions from their prey ; so we 

 satisfied ourselves by piling on fresh fuel, and firing 

 an occasional shot in the direction in which we knew 

 the carnival was taking place. 



With the break of day the lions had departed, 

 leaving behind them nothing but a quantity of scat- 

 tered bones, a dozen hyaenas, and as many more 

 jackals, to tell of the tragedy which had occurred 

 but a few hours before. 



Soon the unclean brutes followed the example of 

 their betters, and skulked off in various directions, 

 doubtless with the intention of returning when the 

 camp was deserted, or as soon as night again placed 

 her impenetrable seal of obscurity upon the land- 

 scape. 



On inspecting the locality where the disaster 

 had taken place, an indentation in the soil was dis- 

 covered, where several pools of coagulated blood 

 were found, the sand around them being scratched 

 up, while tufts of grass torn from their roots in the 

 ground lay scattered about, and the only spoor 

 in the immediate vicinity was that unquestionably 

 of the old warrior on whom I had opened fire. 



The hunter took up his trail, and, at the distance 

 of half a mile, our foe was detected under the shelter 

 of a mapani bush. 



Poor brute, it was evident that he was sick unto 

 death ; still, his heart was willing for the fight, 



