,,,-, CASSELIVS POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY. 



horseback has 1, ecu caught by the leg under the same circumstances. So general, however, is the sense 

 of security on moonlight nights, that we seldom tied up our oxen, but let them lie loose by the wagons; 

 while on a .lurk, rainy night, if a lion is in the neighbourhood, he is almost sure to venture to kill an 

 or. His apj.ro.ich is always stealthy, except when wounded ; and any appearance of a trap is enough to 

 cause him t.i retrain from making the last spring. This seems characteristic of the feline species." 



When a li'in is hungry, he will do what he would not under other circumstances. Thus, one had 

 been near a Bushman's hut the whole night, doubtless on the look-out for prey. Two Bechuana herds- 

 men, at tending the cattle near the place next morning, saw him, and ran towards a neighbouring kraal 

 t . . i n f. .rin the people. On their way thither they met six Griquas coming to attack the formidable creature, 

 having already heard he was there. Advancing, they fired and wounded, but did not disable, him. 



,'ed by the smart, he took some steps, when the Griquas instantly leaped from their horses, formed 

 themselves into a close line, with their tails towards the lion, and took their stand at the horses' heads. 



The lion now flew on a Bechuana, who was not protected by the intervention of the horses, and 

 who tried to defend himself with his sheep-skin cloak. The lion, however, caught him by the arm, 

 threw him on the ground, and, while the poor man still tried to defend himself, by keeping his cloak 

 wrapped round him, the lion got under it, and gnawed part of his thigh. His Bechuana companion 

 at that time threw his spear, which penetrated the man's cloak, and entered the lion's back. The same 

 man threw another spear, but, instead of taking the direction he intended, it pierced the body of a dog 

 tint was barking near. The Griquas would have fired, but they were afraid of shooting the man. 

 To drive him away, however, if possible, they made a great noise, and threw some stones. The lion 

 then left the man and rushed towards them, when they again checked his attack by turning the horses 

 round. He next crept under the belly of a mare, and seized her by the fore legs, but, with a powerful 

 kick, she made him let go his hold. In revenge, and by one stroke of his paw, he tore open the body 

 of the mare, and retired. After this, he tried to get round the horses to the men ; but when within 

 two yards of one of them, and on the point of making a spring, he was happily killed by a musket shot, 

 the ball penetrating behind the ear. 



Mr. Gordon Gumming, who has earned for himself a rather unenviable reputation by his ruthless 

 slaughter of anim vis, graphically describes a terrific scene : " All had retired to rest, when 

 suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an angry, bloodthirsty lion burst upon my ears within 

 a few yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. Again and again the murderous roar 

 of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek, 'The lion ! the lion !' Still, for a few 

 moments, we thought he was but chasing one of the dogs round the kraal, but the next instant John 

 Stofulus rushed into the midst of us, almost speechless with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from their 

 sockets, and shrieked out, ' The lion ! the lion ! he has got Hendrick ! he dragged him away from the 

 fire beside me. I struck him with the burning brands on his head, but he wouldn't let go his hold. 

 Hendrick is dead ! O God ! Hendrick is dead! let us take fire and seek him !' 



" The rest of my people rushed about shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I was at once 

 angry with them for their folly, and told them that if they did not stand still and keep quiet, the lion 

 would have another of us, and that very likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, which 

 were nearly all fast, to be made loose, and the fire to be increased as far as could be. I then shouted 

 Eendrick'l name, but all was still. I told my men that Hendrick was dead, and that a regiment of 

 soldiers could not now help him ; and, hunting my dogs forward, 1 had everything brought within my 

 kraal, when we lighted our fire, and closed the entrance as well as we could. 



" It appeared that when the unfortunate Hendrick rose to drive in the ox, the lion had watched 



him to his fireside, and he had scarcely lain down when the brute sprang upon him and Ruyter (for 



Both lay onder one blanket), with his appalling, murderous roar ; and, roaring as he lay, grappled him 



with his f. ,, lul .-laws, and kept biting him on the breast and shoulders, all the while feeling for his 



ii'-ek : having got, hold of which, he at once dragged him away backwards, round the bush into the 



shadr. A - ili,. n,,,, l a y ,, t ,] ie , m c () ,.t. u nate man, he faintly cried, ' Help me ! help me ! O God, 



men, help me !' After which the fearful beast got hold of his neck, and then all was still, except that 



his comrade, h.-anl the bones of his neck cracking between the teeth of the lion." 



1 '" l'"i.-.hm..]i have remarked that the lion generally kills and devours his prey in the morning 

 at sunriM-, or at sunset ; when, therefore, they intend to kill these animals, they notice where the 



