48 OUT-GENERALLED. [chap. n. 



tugging out the last shoulder of my trusty steed, when 

 the men called out, " Good God, sir, the lion's above 

 you ! " 1 did feel queer, but I did not drop the joint, 

 I walked steadily down the rock, looking very 

 frequently over my shoulder ; but it was not till I 

 came to where the men stood that I could see the 

 round head and pricked ears of my enemy, peering 

 over the ledge under which I had been at work. 

 Stewartson made a very good shot at him, but too low, 

 spHntering the stones under his chin. It was far too 

 dark for a good aim. It then appeared that the 

 creatures' we had thought were deer, were reaUy tlie 

 lions. It was now useless to lie out where we had 

 intended, as the lions knew all about us, and proved 

 to be far better rock-cUmbers than ourselves; and, 

 as we could not get up the tree, we returned thoroughly 

 out-generalled. 



In the evening a waggon came down. It was en route 

 from the Missionary station of Mr. Hahn to the Bay. 

 The waggon driver had a small flock of slaughter sheep 

 for his own consumption by the way ; he kindly sold us 

 two of them, which was all he could spare. 



In the morning, with a heavy heart and diminished 

 cavalcade, we proceeded onwards, sometimes Andersson 

 and sometimes I rode — but I had much the most riding 

 of the two. The next day one of my sheep had to be 

 kiUed for meat — for some of the men had a most 

 unaccountable prejudice against horse and mule flesh. 

 The mule, I grant, was stringy, for she was old, and had 

 done a great deal of work. But the horse was what 

 butchers would describe as " prime." 



