FEARFUL CATASTROPHE. 
55 
occasion, however, the horrid monster passed by the 
oxen without molesting them, and entered the sheep 
kraal and carried off one of its inmates, putting the 
remainder to flight. “ What with the screechings 
of the terrified women and children, 55 writes my 
friend, “the hallooing's of the men, the rush of the 
cattle and the sheep, firebrands whizzing through 
the air, the discharge of the firearms, the growls of 
the lions, and other discordant noises, the scene 
was one which baffles description. I levelled my 
rifle at the marauder as he was passing the waggon, 
not above five paces distant; but my gun unfor¬ 
tunately missed fire, and, when I again pulled the 
trigger, he had disappeared in the darkness. This 
lion was almost immediately joined by his com¬ 
panion, when they set up a roaring duet that lasted, 
with very little intermission, until break of day. 
Continued discharges of firearms kept them from 
doing further mischief. 55 
The particulars of the second catastrophe in my 
friend’s encampment, which occurred at an after¬ 
period, he communicated to me by letter in the fol¬ 
lowing words 
“At about 11 o’clock, p.m., I was startled out of 
my sleep by a fearful shriek, such as I had only 
once before heard uttered by a human being. The 
thought at once struck me that the two notorious 
c man-eaters, 5 who had enacted so horrible a tragedy 
in my bivouac on a former occasion, were again 
prowling about, and had perhaps seized some of the 
Bushmen lately come to pay me a visit, and who 
were encamped at the back of my kraal. Snatching 
