i;6 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



to the edge of the Kalihari Desert, for the reader 

 should know that we were now considerably more 

 than one hundred miles to the westward of the trade 

 route, and, consequently, in a country that had not 

 been disturbed by the firearms of the white man, when 

 a deputation of natives arrived to ask us to render 

 them aid under circumstances which were doubtless 

 most trying. These delegates came from a village 

 about a day's treck from our encampment, and had 

 been sent by their chief for the purpose of request- 

 ing us to visit him, as an old lion had, on two 

 successive evenings, broken into his kraal, and on 

 each occasion killed and carried off a calf. This 

 beast was an old offender, for, not more than a 

 month ago, he had perpetrated the same offences, 

 and had become so bold that he totally disregarded i 

 the presence of the residents of the station. This 

 was, doubtless, the brute we sought for, and, as 

 time was no object, it was resolved to comply with 

 our visitors' desire ; so they were amply supplied 

 with meat, and the morrow fixed for our departure. \ 

 Scarcely had we got under way, when a good- 

 looking young Boer rode up to me, and, after 

 expressing himself in unimpeachable English, and n 

 with much greater courtesy than is generally 

 expected from his nationality, he informed me that 

 he was only outspanned a few miles off, and that 

 his frow, the previous evening, when getting into 

 their waggon, had got kicked by one of the after 



