THE LION IN SOUTH AFRICA 337 



tracks of the ox. The ox was ultimately killed by having his 

 neck broken, and lay with his head doubled in under him, there 

 being no mark of a wound upon him but the claw marks on 

 the muzzle and shoulder. Except that one ear had been bitten 

 off, the carcase was untouched, the lion having been scared 

 away by John's bullets, which must have whizzed unpleasantly 

 near him, and caused him to beat a hasty retreat. 



As soon as it was fairly light I saddled my horse, and 



' Springing upon his victim ' 



John and I took up the spoor, which led us down to the little 

 river Simbo, a small stream, about three hundred yards from 

 my waggon, which runs into the Umfuli River, just below 

 Hartley Hills. For about a mile beyond the Simbo we were 

 able to follow without difficulty the tracks of what was evidently 

 a large male lion, as the ground was low-lying and soft from 

 the recent heavy rains ; but after this the spoor got into soil 

 of a different nature, thickly covered with short grass, where 

 i- z 



