XVII CAMPING AT EL BOGOI 395 



moaning in its death struggles ; but there was now no other 

 sound. Then, just as I had managed to get my gun in order 

 and was going to the gate of the kraal — having motioned 

 Maftaha to follow me — with the intention of trying to loose off 

 at our enemy, the fool let drive at random into the bush from 

 behind a bank of weeds — fancying, I suppose, he was safe there 

 because he could see nothing — scaring the lions (he declared 

 there were two), and our chance of immediate revenge was lost. 



The dead donkey (a small one) was merely killed by bites 

 in the throat and back of the neck, but not touched otherwise, 

 except for scratches in the struggle. Had it not been for my 

 maimed hand I could hardly have failed to shoot a lion in the 

 kraal, for it was bright moonlight and the dead donkey was 

 plainly visible from opposite the gate. We kept watch all 

 night, but the enemy returned not. Three donkeys came back 

 into camp during the night, and were secured and tied to trees 

 among the huts. There happened to have been two Ndorobos 

 sleeping in camp, so in the morning I sent one of these with 

 the donkey-herd to try to follow up the spoor of the frightened 

 pack-animals, while the other went to Lesiat's to get more help. 

 A few volunteers soon turned up, all wishing to assist in the 

 search for the lost asses. One was found close by, slashed, but 

 only skin deep, with claw-marks, and three more, unhurt, were 

 found during the day ; yet another trio came home by them- 

 selves about sundown, but there was no news of the rest. 



In the meantime it had been necessary to keep the few 

 men I had here hard at work making a new " boma " close to the 

 goods shed ; the other had been too weak, and in the shadow 

 of trees, with scrub right up to the back of it. The camp was, 

 indeed, most villainously situated in this respect, surrounded by 

 thick cover, favouring the approach of predatory beasts ; but 

 this was unavoidable here, the whole country being one con- 

 tinuous jungle, and as nothing had ever happened before — 

 though the donkeys had been here for months in charge of only 

 two or three men, — no special precautions had been taken this 



