LION HUNTING BY BOERS. 167 



■The brute, however^ did not injure him, but merely 

 stood over him, lashing his tail, and growling at the 

 rest of the party, who had galloped to a distance in the 

 utmost consternation, and, instead of approaching with- 

 in easy shot of the lion, to the rescue of their comrade, 

 opened their fire upon him from a great distance, the 

 consequence of which sportsman-like proceeding was, 

 that they missed the lion, and shot their comrade dead 

 on the spot. The lion presently retreated, and, none 

 daring to follow him, he escaped. 



The Boer on whose farm I had arrived was a tall, 

 powerful, manly-looking fellow. He informed me that 

 he was a Dane. He was in great distress about two 

 favorite dogs which the lions had killed during the at- 

 tack on the preceding day. Three more were badly 

 wounded, and their recovery seemed doubtful. He con- 

 firmed the reports of an impending war between the 

 Boers and Griquas, which I had previously heard, and 

 he asked me if I was not afraid, in times of war, to re- 

 rnaia hunting, with only a few followers, in the wil- 

 derness. Being anxious to commence my operations 

 against the blesboks, I resumed my march shortly after 

 mid-day. On taking leave, the Dane presented me with 

 some meal and a couple of loaves of bread, a luxury to 

 which I had been an utter stranger for many months, 

 and which, together with vegetables, I may further add, 

 I hardly ever tasted during the five hunting expeditions 

 which I performed in Southern Africa. Another short 

 march in a northeasterly direction brought me to the 

 western borders of the boundless regions inhabited by 

 the blesboks. I drew up my wagons beside a vley of 

 rain water, in open country, the plains before me be- 

 ing adorned with herds of black wildebeest, springbok, 

 and blesbok. 



