132 FATAL ENCOUNTER WITH A LION. 



our disappointment was the greater, as there were 

 strong indications of a coming storm ; nor was it until 

 darkness had overtaken us that we succeeded in 

 reaching the house in question, after a long and 

 fatiguing day's journey. 



The evening being wet and cold, we were glad to 

 accept the friendly invitation of the farmer to sup 

 with him. During our repast, he related the follow- 

 ing account of a lion hunt, in which he had been 

 engaged a few months previously. Having had 

 several horses killed by lions, he determined on 

 pursuing them to their covert, which he believed to 

 be in the immediate neighbourhood, with a view to 

 avenge himself for the losses he had sustained, and 

 accordingly persuaded a neighbouring farmer to 

 accompany him, deeming it unsafe to proceed singly 

 upon an adventure of this description. 



The farmers in this part of the country have a 

 large rough kind of dog, about the size of the New- 

 foundland breed, which proves, by its courage in facing 

 the lion and keeping him at bay, a valuable assistant 

 in hunting that formidable creature. Taking with 

 them several of these dogs, young Van der Merwe 

 and his companion soon succeeded in tracing a 

 couple of lions to their retreat by the reedy banks of 

 the river ; and while the fierce animals lay growling 

 and lashing their tails at the dogs, which kept up an 

 incessant barking s the farmers were enabled to take a 

 steady aim, and fired. One of the lions fell dead ; the 



