138 THE LION. 



A soldier, belonging to a line regiment, had heard that a great quantity of money 

 might be obtained from amongst the Dutch Boers in the interior, by various simple 

 processes with which he fancied himself acquainted. 



Selecting a favorable opportunity, he deserted, taking care to well fill his haversack 

 with meat, to serve him during his march across the wild uninhabited district which 

 separated the Dutch locations from our frontier. 



The soldier marched, during two days, some sixty miles or so, taking care when he 

 slept to place the bag containing his meat under his head. On the third or fourth night, 

 he lay down as usual to rest, with his head upon his pillow. It happened that in the 

 country to which he belonged Lions were very common, and one of these unwelcome 

 visitors happened to be prowling about in search of a supper, and dropped upon the 

 military hero who was quietly snoring. 



Whether the Lion were aware of the fierce calling of the sleeper, and therefore paid 

 him some respect, is not mentioned ; but, instead of carrying off the man, he merely 

 clawed up the bag, and trotted away growling with his trophy. The only damage that 

 he had inflicted on the soldier was the abstraction of a few inches of his scalp. 



A Dutch Boer found the deserter wandering half starved on the plain, where he had 

 been without food for a day and a night. The Boer fed and doctored him, but in 

 return made him act as leader to the oxen and wagon, a position considered by the 

 Dutch Boers to be the most degrading to man." 



" NEAR the sources of the Mooi river there are several extensive plains on which 

 large herds of elands and hartebeest were formerly found. Bordering on these plains 

 are several ranges of hills, spurs from the Quathlomba mountains, and between these 

 rocky spurs, kloofs or ravin'es exist, affording shelter for bush-buck, buffaloes, and 

 many other animals which seek cover amongst either reeds or bushes. 



At the time when the following scene occurred, there was scarcely an inhabitant in 

 this locality besides a few Welshmen, who resided amongst the stony hills, and lived 

 by the chase, and two or three Dutch Boers, the remnants of those who had accom- 

 panied Maritz in his migration from the old colony. 



The Dutchmen had built themselves some wattle-and-daub huts, and were contented 



to remain where they were, as hunting and grazing-grounds were plentiful. A few thefts 



erformed by their little neighbors, the Bushmen, had caused a commando to be raised, 



.nd, during the invasion of the hills that were then occupied by these little men, a boy 



ad been captured by one of the Boers, and had been retained as a domestic. This 



individual will figure in the following scene with the Lion. 



One evening, whilst one of these Boers was sitting with his son, a lad of about six- 

 teen years of age, in front of his hut, smoking his stone pipe, and looking with pride 

 upon his sleek herds which grazed about him he noticed some object that moved slowly 

 along the side of an old watercourse at a considerable distance from him. A telescope 

 was an article of value which few of these residents possessed : it was therefore by 

 patient watching only that the father and son at length discovered that the object was 

 a Lion, which appeared to be carefully stalking a valuable black stallion grazing near 

 the old watercourse. Instantly seizing their guns, which were as usual loaded and at 

 hand, the two ran down towards the Lion, shouting as they went to the Hottentots who 

 were engaged about the farm. 



These individuals did not appear to be anxious about hurrying towards the scene of 

 danger, and, consequently, the Dutchman and his son reached the stallion before any 

 other aid arrived. 



The course which they followed had caused them to lose sight of the Lion in conse- 

 quence of intervening slopes of ground, so that, upon reaching the horse, which was graz- 

 ing, unconscious of danger, no Lion was to be seen. The young Boer, acting against the 

 advice of his father, walked along the side of a ravine, in search of the grim monster. 

 The old Boer repeatedly called to his incautious son to come back, and wait for the 

 Hottentots and the dogs, which would soon come up ; but, finding his advice dis- 

 r yarded, he left the horse and walked toward his son, whom he found throwing stones 

 nto the long grass which fringed the edge of the ravine for the purpose of starting 



