UET CONSmERABLY SCARED. 119 



and little sticks, in half a minute we had a cheerful 

 blaze. The lion, which had not yet got our wind, came 

 forward at once to find out what the dense was up ; 

 but, not seeing to his entire satisfaction from the top 

 of the bank, he was proceeding to descend by a game- 

 path into the river-bed within a few yards of us. I 

 happened at the very moment to go to this spot to fetch 

 more wood, and, being entirely concealed from the lion's 

 view above by the intervening high reeds, we actually 

 met face to face ! 



The first notice I got was his sudden spring to one 

 side, accompanied by repeated angry growls, while I 

 involuntarily made a convulsive spring backward, at 

 the same time giving a fearful shrielf, such as I never 

 before remember uttering. I fancied just as he growl- 

 ed that he was coming upon me. We now heaped on 

 more wood, and kept up a very strong fire until the day 

 dawned, the lions feaeting beside us all the time, not- 

 withstanding the remonstrances of the little native, 

 who, with a true Bechuana spirit, lamenting the loss 

 of so much good flesh, kept continually shouting and 

 pelting them with flaming brands. 



The next morning, when it was clear, I arose and in- 

 spected the buffaloes. The throe that had fallen were 

 fine old cows, and two of them were partly consumed 

 by the lions. The ground all around was packed flat 

 with their spoor ; one particular spoor was nearly as 

 large as that of a borele. I then proceeded to inspect 

 the steeds : the sand around them was also covered with 

 the lion's spoor. He had sprung upon the Old Gray, 

 but had done him no further injury than scratching his 

 back through the skin : perhaps the lion had been scar- 

 ed by the rheims, or, on discovering his spare condition, 

 had preferred the buffalo. 



