142 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



not repeated, thus I did not communicate the cir- 

 cumstance to my attendants ; but in ten minutes 

 after, the mysterious sound was renewed, and 

 brought the whole cortege to a halt. From a kopje 

 scarce a mile off, and whose outline could be dis- 

 tinctly seen against the sky, again and again was 

 repeated the deep, distinct, and never-to-be-forgotten 

 roar of the monarch of the brute creation. The 

 gentleman from whose throat emanated this basso 

 prof^lndo music was evidently travelling, and, from 

 the conduct of my attendants, it was obvious to me 

 that they thought it more than probable that he 

 would direct his steps to our vicinity. I spoke to 

 the headman on the subject, and as I did so the 

 tiresome hyaenas and jackals gave additional and 

 more emphatic evidence of their vocal powers. 

 The answer I received was exactly what might 

 have been expected, namely, "If the lion hears 

 these confounded brutes, he is certain to think 

 something is up, some beast to be killed or food 

 already provided, and so direct his course to where 

 we are." The jackal has been called from time 

 immemorial the lion's provider. There is more 

 truth in this statement than many suppose ; for, if 

 these handsome animals come across a wounded or 

 dead beast, they fight with each other so per- 

 sistently around or over it, incessantly barking and 

 yelping, that the king of the forest at once knows 

 that food is to be obtained where this turmoil is 



