168 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



or even saddled him until we had found elephants, 

 when I used him in the fight, and then immediately 

 off-saddled. 



With a sickening heart I turned from this most pain- 

 ful scene, and, utterly dejected, I returned to camp. As 

 there was much to do about the wagons, and as two 

 of my men were absent seeking the lost horses, I did 

 not immediately go in quest of the lions ; this I, how- 

 ever, did in the afternoon, taking all my dogs, but I 

 failed to find them. A large party of the natives from 

 the southwest, the Bamalette, reached me late in the 

 day : their object was flesh, and to endeavor to per- 

 suade me to come and trade with them. They had 

 fallen in with three of my steeds ; the others were 

 found by my men near the drift where I had last cross- 

 ed the river. I formed a very strong kraal for my cat- 

 tle, and made all fast at sundown. Very soon after, 

 the troop of lions came up to my camp on the spoor of 

 the horses, fancying that they could repeat the tragedy 

 of last night ; they fought with my dogs in the most 

 daring manner, off and on, until near dawn of day, 

 driving them in to the fireside. The cattle were very 

 restive, and nearly broke away, but the kraal was good 

 and saved them. 



In the morning, ordering my wagons to follow, I rods 

 down the river, followed by at least two hundred na- 

 tives, to secure the hippopotami shot two days previous 

 Six of these were forthcoming, and we set about get- 

 ting them to the side : they lay upon the rooks in the 

 middle of the river. One of these proved to be an out- 

 and-outer, a tearing old bull, with tusks which far sur- 

 passed any thing I had yet seen, and quite perfect ; I 

 was very much gratified with this fine trophy. There 

 were also two of the cows which carried immense and 



