A FORMIDABLE LION. 
67 
hands and feet towards the other side of the pool; 
when, coming to my waggon-driver, to inform him 
of our danger, I found him looking, with no little 
alarm, in an opposite direction, and with good 
reason, as no fewer than two lions, with a cub, were 
eyeing us both, apparently as uncertain about us 
as we were distrustful of them. They appeared, as 
they always do in the dark, twice the usual size. 
We thankfully decamped to the waggon, and sat 
down to keep alive our scanty fire, while we listened 
to the lion tearing and devouring his prey. When any 
of the other hungry lions dared to approach, he would 
pursue them for some paces, with a horrible howl, 
vrhich made our poor oxen tremble, and produced 
anything but agreeable sensations in ourselves. We 
had reason for alarm, lest any of the six lions we 
saw, fearless of our small fire, might rush in among 
us. The two Barolongs were grudging the lion his 
fat meal, and would now and then break the silence 
with a deep sigh and expressions of regret 6 that 
a vagabond lion should have such a feast on 
their cow,’ which they anticipated would have 
afforded them many a draught of luscious milk. 
Before the day dawned, having deposited nearly the 
whole of the carcase in his stomach, he collected 
the head, backbone, parts of the legs, the paunch, 
which he emptied of its contents, and the two clubs 
which had been thrown at him, and waLked off, 
leaving nothing but some fragments of bones, and 
one of my balls, which had hit the carcase instead 
of himself.” 
Again, “ It is now more than two years ago, 
f 2 
