THE LION OF SOUTH AFRICA. 69 



general attack upon us. Nevertheless, daybreak would 

 deliver us." 



Mr. Moffat was on a tour among the Barolongs : 

 they had halted beside a pool of water, and at night 

 they lighted the camp fires. Scarcely had the traveller 

 got into his waggon to pass the night, when he heard 

 the oxen stamping their feet with fright. A lion had 

 just followed a heifer which they had neglected to tie 

 up, and carried it off to a distance of about a hundred 

 yards. They heard him breaking the bones of the 

 animal, which was sending forth most lamentable cries. 

 They fired several times in the direction of the noise, 

 and the lion replied only by roaring. Once he even 

 came up to the waggons, two natives having flung fire- 

 sticks at him. The sight of the fire only served to 

 redouble his fury. He was rushing on them, when a 

 ball struck the ground close by him, and he turned 

 away, still roaring. 



As the fuel was getting very low, they profited by 

 the temporary departure of the lion to go and seek 

 some wood. " I had not gone far," says Mr. Moffat, 

 " when I perceived between myself and the horizon 

 four animals, whose attention seemed to have been 

 aroused by the noise which I had made in breaking 

 some dry branches. Looking at them more closely, I 

 perceived that these new visitors were no other than 

 lions. I immediately beat a retreat, crawling on my 



