226 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



that these antelopes had passed over the pointer 

 found abundant occupation, and single and double 

 shots were afforded in rapid succession. Here my 

 boy rejoined me. Soon after he called my attention 

 to the fact of the herd of large game dividing when 

 they came in the vicinity of about a dozen or more 

 mapani bushes, one half taking a wide detour to the 

 westward, the other half to the eastward. The 

 Hottentot did not understand this circumstance, 

 and, more, did not like it ; but after a short time he 

 got less uneasy, when he informed me that he 

 thought that there was a hyaena or jackal in that 

 bush. So on I went shooting, thinking little and 

 caring less what kind of beast it was, as long as I 

 filled my bag or made good shooting. By this time 

 the pointer was within thirty yards of the mapani 

 brush, quartering her ground at racing pace, when 

 she suddenly pulled up, and half pointing, half draw- 

 ing, advanced direct for the cover. I and the boy 

 were not over twenty yards behind her, when, at less 

 than double that distance, directly in front of the 

 dog, a magnificent black-maned lion showed himself. 

 At first I thought the beast was determined to 

 charge, from the circumstance that he held his tail 

 aloft, almost as stiff as a broom-handle, and curled 

 up his lips so as to exhibit his teeth ; but if such had 

 been his first resolve, he soon changed his intention. 

 Possibly this was caused by the action of the pointer, 

 who, from the first, evinced an inclination to get 



