chap. v. LIONS. 237 



sure to be when harassed by lions, we finished her off with 

 a couple of balls as she charged out at us. 



It was not for several days after this that we became 

 aware that we had to do with another man-eater, though 

 this time of a different description. One morning before 

 sunrise we saw from camp two water-antelopes come down 

 on the opposite bank to drink, and taking my little rifle, 

 I killed one from our side. Hitherto no one had crossed, 

 but a couple of the best swimmers now went down to 

 examine the ford, and, to our astonishment, reported it 

 good, and comparatively shallow ; so a party of carriers 

 crossed, cut up the antelope, tied it up in bundles oi 

 branches, and placing it on their heads, returned. The 

 last man — and he was a few minutes behind the rest — 

 was followed by a native cur, round the neck of which a 

 great strip of meat had been hung, after the native cus- 

 tom, for its future use. 



When they were in the middle of the stream I heard 

 some shouting, and on being told that a crocodile could 

 be seen swimming down towards them, I hurried to the 

 bank with a gun. The brute was quite visible, carrying 

 part of his head and nose above water, and several of us 

 fired without hitting it. There could be no doubt of his 

 vicious inclinations ; the only question was, whether it 

 would be the dog or the man that would suffer ; but, 

 aware of his intense liking for the former, I fancied he 

 would not pass his favourite morsel when it was so much 

 nearer and handier to him. Suddenly he sank, and, 

 knowing that now was the dangerous time, I called to the 

 man to keep still, stand his bundle in front of him, and, 

 facing up stream, to hold his assagai ready for instant use. 



