90 DAMAKA FEROCITY. [chap. hi. 



tugged at her heel just as he had done the previous 

 evening. The poor creature was in a sad state ; and I 

 and one of Mr. Hahn's men sat up the next night to 

 watch for the animal. I squatted in the shade of her 

 house ; my companion covered a side-path, and the 

 woman occupied her hut as a hait. It was a grand 

 idea, that of baitiag with an old woman. The hyena 

 came along the side-path, and there received his 

 quietus. 



All along the countiy about us was ia the utmost 

 confusion ; but we were not annoj^ed at Barmen. Once 

 indeed men came with the news that a body of Damaras 

 had been seen prowling beliind the rocks that form a 

 broken background to the station ; and we got every- 

 thing ready for an attack, and watched through the 

 night, but nothing came. 



The fugitives from a lately dispersed werft were 

 staying at Barmen ; their cattle had been scattered all 

 about the country, and three men went out on a three 

 or four days' excursion to look after them. When they 

 returned they came to the station yelling and leaping, 

 and the whole population turned out and joined them 

 in their war-dance. I never witnessed a more demo- 

 niacal display ; their outrageous movements, their 

 barking cries, the brandishing of the assegais, and the 

 savage exultation of man, woman, and child at the 

 thoughts of bloodshed, formed a most horrible scene. 

 We heard that the meaning of it all was, that the 

 Damaras, who were looking after their lost cattle, had 

 found two of the robbers in the act of dri%T.ng some 

 of their herd a few miles from this place, and that they 



