SOUTH AFRICA FIFTY YEARS AGO 65 



place where the scrimmage of the night before had occurred, 

 and there lay 'Tod,' as the Hottentots had named him, with 

 the other absentee, both dead. ' Tod ' had apparently run 

 straight into the lion's mouth, for the marks of the teeth were 

 visible enough over his back and loins. He was a rash fellow, 

 but he died an honourable death. The loss of dogs was a 

 very serious one, for it was through their fidelity and watch- 

 fulness we were able to sleep in comparative ease and safety. 

 At the first sound or smell of danger they went to the fore, and 

 walked barking round and round with the lions, just keeping 

 clear of their spring or sudden rush, showing them they were 

 detected and that the camp was not all asleep. In the times 

 I am writing of I don't think it would have been possible, 

 save with a large number of armed watchers and fires, to have 

 kept your oxen in anything like safety without dogs. You 

 went to sleep in peace as soon as the dog-watch was set and 

 the fires made up for the night. Firewood was abundant after 

 passing the Molopo. A store of huge logs was collected directly 

 the waggons halted, and the blaze was kept up throughout 

 the night, the fires being shaken together and replenished 

 by anyone who chanced to wake ; and as their own safety 

 depended on it, the men were zealous in this part of their 

 duty. 



By this time we had shot most of the kinds of game to 

 be found away from the rivers, in large numbers Harris's 

 black buck potoquan (Aigoceros niger), and the beautiful hill 

 zebra (Equus montanus) excepted. The former I only saw 

 once during my five years in Africa, and never got a chance 

 at, and the latter I would not have shot if I could he is 

 such a pretty, tiny, thoroughbred-looking thing, the size of a 

 small Shetland pony, and the most playful little fellow imagin- 

 able, springing about the rocky hill-tops with the surefooted- 

 ness of an ibex. We had not yet fallen in with elephants or 

 even seen their tracks. Three years after the time of which 

 I am writing I killed them frequently to the south, but now 

 they were away to pastures new for the time, and we decided 



i. F 



