358 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA, Chai-. XLIX. 
rain seemed to have fallen, so that I was even enabled 
to water the horse, although the danger from wild 
beasts could not but be greatly increased by the pre- 
sence of the aqueous element. After a march of two 
miles more, the evening being very dark, we thought 
it more prudent to halt for the night ; we therefore 
chose a small place free from wood, put our luggage, 
camel, horse, and sheep in the middle, and assigned 
to each of ourselves one of the corners, where we were 
to keep up a fire. We had, however, scarcely begun 
to look around the neighbourhood for dry firewood, 
when the tumultuous cries of wild beasts broke forth 
from different quarters of the dense forest ; and I 
was obliged to fire some shots before we were able 
to light a moderate fire, when, throwing the fire- 
brands before us as we proceeded, we were enabled 
to collect a tolerable quantity of dry wood. How- 
ever, it was with some difficulty that I prevailed 
upon my young and inexperienced companions to 
make up their minds to keep alternate watches during 
the night, and keep up the fires, more especially as, on 
account of a north-east wind which sprung up about 
midnight, the wood was rapidly consumed. 
I had prudently provided myself with a number 
of cartridges, when I was suddenly startled by the 
rushing in of two hysenas, which seemed to have 
silently approached under cover of the wood, and 
almost succeeded in carrying off our sheep. But one 
of them paid with its life for its audacity ; and now 
throwing firebrands, then firing a shot, we succeeded 
