64 
THE LION. 
making the welkin ring with their horrible roar¬ 
ing. On a certain night, indeed, as was seen 
by their tracks, they approached to within a 
dozen paces of the fire of one of my men. On 
this occasion, they, moreover, killed my two best 
dogs, who had attacked them, and so cowed the 
remaining two that for a long time afterwards 
they would hardly leave my heels. When lions thus 
visited our bivouac, the Damaras accompanying me 
were in the habit of making the most hideous noises, 
cursing and swearing at the beasts—a custom also 
prevalent amongst the North African Arabs. 
“ On another occasion at about midnight,” Gordon 
Cumining elsewhere tells us, ce a lion made a most 
daring attack on my cattle ‘ kraal 5 charging com¬ 
pletely through the thick thorn hedge; he sent the 
panic-stricken cattle flying in dire confusion, and 
dashed to the ground a valuable ox, which lay 
groaning in his powerful grasp. I was awakened 
by the noise, and instantly directing a troop of 
the dogs to be let loose, the cowardly beast was 
put to flight. The poor ox sprang to his feet, 
aud joined his companions, but his fore and 
hind quarters were so fearfully lacerated that I 
was necessitated to shoot him on the following 
morning.” 
On a dark and stormy night, it is to be noted, 
the lion, “ the stealthy prowling tyrant of the 
wilderness,” is ever the most active and daring, 
and consequently, at such times, it behoves the 
traveller to be more specially on his guard. 
Moflatt also testifies to the daring of the lion. 
