584 "WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



lion retired a little and lay down. The Bushman seized the 

 opportunity, picked up a few straws of dried grass and began 

 to try to strike a light ; but as soon as the lion heard the 

 tapping of the flint and steel, it rose again and walked around 

 the Bushman, brushing him as before ; again the Bushman 

 was still, and again the lion retired. The Bushman once 

 more plied his flint and steel, and again the lion advanced 

 from his retreat. At this moment the Bushman succeeded in 

 obtaining a light, but such was his terror that, forgetting 

 himself, he continued blowing at it till it scorched his face. 

 The lion made a stand when he saw the flame, and as this 

 increased when the burning grass was dropped into a dry 

 bush, the lion fled. The Bushman, who had been thus 

 detained from noon to sunset, lost no time, when the lion 

 was sufficiently far gone, in also making his retreat ; he said 

 he had never run so fast before, and when he reached his 

 companions he was pale and sick with fright. 



These missionary stories most strikingly illustrate that 

 mysterious power over "the beasts of the field" which is 

 undoubtedly exercised by all beings, even though they be 

 degraded Hottentots, who chance to bear the "upturned 

 countenance" which was stamped upon the human race as 

 a "sign of dominion." Gumming gives a still more extraordi- 

 nary relation of an incident of the same class which happened 

 to himself. Although this has generally been set down as 

 an apocryphal anecdote, yet I am, from my own experience 

 of animals, if not for many other reasons, disposed to believe 

 it a real incident, and therefore give it as he tells it literally. 



Ruyter came towards me, and I ran forward to obtain a 

 view beyond a slight rise in the ground to see whither the 

 lioness had gone. In so doing I came suddenly upon them, 

 within about seventy yards ; they were standing looking 

 back at Ruyter. I then very rashly commenced making a 

 rapid stalk in upon them, and fired at the nearest, having 

 only one shot in my rifle. The ball told loudly, and the 



1 



