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 (Aigocerns niger), and the beautiful hill 
_ zebra (Zguus montanus) excepted. The former I only saw 
~ once during my five years in Africa, and never got a chance 
and the latter I would not have shot if I could—he is 
a pretty, tiny, thoroughbred-looking thing, the size of a 
mall 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 
en seen their tracks. Three years after the time of which 
am writing I killed them frequently to the south, but now 
were away to pastures new for the time, and we decided 
I. F 
