SLAUGHTER OF THE DOGS. ^49 



drew the cover lying to the south of it, expecting to 

 find a lion. When the wagons came up I formed my 

 camp beside the thorn-grove, and, observing a herd of 

 blue wildebeests making for my cattle, I proceeded to 

 waylay them, and fired two long shots. Next minute 

 Booi came up to me, and said that on my firing he had 

 observed a lion stick his head up in the long grass in 

 the vley opposite to me. I felt inclined to doubt the 

 veracity of his optics. I sent him back, however, with 

 instructions to bring eight dogs ; but Booi thought the 

 whole pack would be better, and returned with thirty, 



I then rode direct for the spot where the lion was 

 supposed to be. Booi was correct ; and on drawing 

 near, two savage lionesses sat up in the grass and 

 growled fiercely at us. An unlucky belt of reeds, about 

 sixty yards long and twenty broad, intervened between 

 me and the lionesses, and on perceiving their danger 

 they at once dashed into this cover : then followed the 

 most woeful cutting up and destruction among my best 

 and most valuable dogs. The lioneeses had it all their 

 own way. In vain I rode round and round the small 

 cover, endeavoring to obtain a peep of them, which 

 would have enabled me to put a speedy conclusion to 

 the murderous work within. The reeds were so tall 

 and dense, that, although the lionesses were often at 

 bay within eight or ten yards of me, it was impossible 

 to see them. At length one came outside the cover on 

 the opposite side, when I fired a shot from the saddle. 

 My horse was unsteady ; nevertheless I wounded her, 

 and, acknowledging thf shot with angry growls, she 

 re-entered the reeds. 



A number of the dogs, which had gone oif after a 

 herd of blue wildebeests, now returned, and, coming 

 down through the long grass, started a third lioness, 

 L2 



