74 
THE LION. 
of the remainder of the herd, made a successful 
dash right across the lion’s path, and fortunately 
rejoined us in safety. The object of the lion was 
clearly more the beast than the man ; for, upon find¬ 
ing himself thus suddenly baffled, he stopped short, 
and, with a savage look at us, and an angry growl, 
bounded out of sight as quick as thought; and by 
the time I returned to the waggons, the lioness 
had thought fit to follow her lord’s example. Thus, 
almost without any effort on our side, we were 
providentially saved from this most extraordinary 
and dangerous attack. 
At the first appearance of the lions, the men 
took refuge in the waggons, and, long after the 
danger was over, they trembled violently from fear 
and apprehension. 
As a genera) rule, a lion, unless previously 
molested, will seldom attack an ox in the yoke, or 
when attended by man, but long abstinence makes 
him desperate. 
After considerable trouble and difficulty, we 
succeeded in re-arranging the oxen, which had 
become excessively scared. Two or three hours’ 
further travelling brought us, without other mishap, 
safe to Richterfeldt, where our hair-breadth escape 
was listened to with the deepest interest. 
