i887.] 
Stay in Garenganze. 
223 
village for fire, and to bring more cartridges, and some men to 
cut up and carry the meat back. I remained by the carcases, 
armed only with a long hunting-knife, having no ammunition for 
my rifle. 
Night had scarcely set in when I heard in the distance the 
whoop of a hyena, which was the signal for all night prowlers to 
gather round ; so I determined to march up and down, and if 
possible hold my own against them. Unfortunately there was 
no moon. It was a pitch-dark night, and I could only hear the 
animals as they came walking round in the dry grass. Having no 
fire with me, I was compelled to keep shouting at them, making 
as much noise as possible, to keep them from the carcases of the 
antelopes. They seemed to increase in number, and feeling 
unable to defend all my spoil, I gave up one animal to my 
hungry visitors, thinking that would satisfy them, and they would 
leave me then in peaceful possession of the two. 
Feeling the cold intensely, I took out my hunting-knife and 
skinned one of the antelopes, rolled myself in the borrowed hide, 
and lay down on the ground. But soon I heard the stealthy 
tread of some animal coming towards me. Springing instantly to 
my feet, I rushed to the place where I had left the one carcase, 
and found that in the course of an hour these hungry brutes had 
devoured it, and were now preparing to pounce upon either me or 
the other two. By dint of rushing up and down, and shouting for 
hours, I managed to keep them off. About three in the morning 
some men came, bringing fire with them, and I got a little sleep. 
The daylight revealed, by the footprints, that my companions had 
been five large hyenas and three cheta or dog-leopards ; and not 
only had they cleared off every atom of the flesh and bones of 
their antelope, but they had licked the very ground clean of the 
blood. We carried off the meat of the other two triumphantly 
to Msidi's town, giving him a quarter of one of the animals as we 
passed. He was quite astonished when he heard of the night's 
adventure. Indeed, he professed to be very angry at what 
appeared to him foolhardiness ; and when I explained that 
necessity had compelled me, he wanted to know why I had not 
applied to him for food. I told him that I certainly would not do 
that ; but he made me accept of a large bin of corn, which 
contained more than a six months' supply for me and my boys. 
