292 STRANGE FOLLOWER. 



and levanted for some time. This was the second trick of 

 the kind that he had played me ; on the former occasion, a 

 friend, whose horse had behaved better, accompanied me, 

 and we shared the saddle, turn and turn about, for the 

 four miles that constituted the journey home. On this 

 evening I had to trudge it alone, and what was worse, 

 without my gun ; for, having merely gone out to take tea, I 

 had left my usual gun at home. I borrowed an assagy 

 from the Kaffirs and trotted off. The road for great 

 part of the way was lined with bush. A river about 

 three feet deep had to be crossed, and then the flat sands 

 of the Congella, famous for the battle between the Boers 

 and the English troops. 



I went on with caution, listening occasionally, as the 

 elephants were near the edge of the bush I had passed 

 in the afternoon, their feeding being clearly heard from 

 the smashing of the large branches. It was not advisable 

 to rub shoulders with these gentlemen unarmed, and in 

 the night, if it could be avoided. 



I had passed the little river Umbilo about two hundred 

 yards, when, upon suddenly stopping to listen, I heard 

 something behind me ; so dropping to the ground, I placed 

 my head low, and made out the shambling figure of a 

 cowardly hyaena in relief against the sky. I flung a stone 

 at him and he shuffled away. Soon after I heard him 

 behind me again, and he followed at a respectable distance 

 until I reached the village of D'Urban. These brutes, 

 although possessing a strength of jaw capable of grinding 

 an ox's leg-bone to powder, are still such curs as to fly 

 before a dog ; and on one occasion, near Pietermaritzburg, 



