1 64 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



not be thankful for such a blessing ? The readers 

 will see, therefore, particularly if there are any 

 ladies among them, that we possess a degree of 

 civilization, as well as other trifling advantages, 

 slightly in excess of the people of the country of 

 which I am writing. 



However, to the purpose of our visit to this 

 kraal. The old man mustered his clan, and 

 ordered them to accompany us, while he fell in 

 between Chummy and myself, armed with nothing 

 more than a slim six-foot walking-stick, with the 

 intention, as he expressed it, of " seeing his old 

 acquaintance have his whiskers drawn." 



All appeared to have no doubt but that they 

 could show us the lion, his hunting-ground having 

 been around their village for some time ; but the 

 first cover, a most likely looking place on a hillside, 

 with a northerly aspect, and so facing the sun, was 

 drawn blank. There could be no doubt but that the 

 brute frequently came there, for several lairs were 

 pointed out where the herbage was crushed down, 

 and tawny hair adhered to the bushes. 



At first I believed that the lion had given us 

 the slip, and left the cover as we entered it. But 

 such was not the explanation, or else some of the 

 dogs would have acknowledged the scent. More- 

 over, this hillside fairly swarmed with little buck, that 

 were almost as tame as hares in a deer-park at 

 home, which would scarcely have been the case if 



