MY HORSES KILLED BY LIONS. 
431 
the vley he drank out of was dry, and that he was 
just then starting himself in search, yet, when the 
news reached me, I outspanned at once, saddled up 
and took my gun, and made the Bushman show us 
a vley where there was barely sufficient, but it was 
worth its weight in gold to me. About four miles ere 
reaching this, my pole pulled out of the iron bolt, and 
the oxen walked on quite unconcerned, leaving the 
wagon a fixture. I remedied this temporarily with 
the rheim-chain, making the pole fast with rheims 
round the fore tongue just for the two after-oxen to 
steer by, and got here without further mishap ; 
yesterday I put in a new dissel-boom, and intended 
to proceed when the sun had sunk a few hours. 
Dog-tired, I went fast asleep as soon as I lay down, 
and never awoke till the morning-star rose, when I 
heard lions roaring, and immediately jumped up to 
see if my horses and oxen were all right. I was 
horrified at seeing no signs of either, sent the Kaffirs 
off at once, and now came the climax of all my mis¬ 
fortunes. January had never made the oxen fast, 
though he had seen five lions in the afternoon, and 
poor Ferus and Kebon lay dead within sixty yards 
of one another and some 600 from the wagon, the 
latter, who was in very fair condition, being entirely 
devoured; Ferus was untouched. They cost me 
90/. cash, and I should have got at least 120/. for 
them, had I wished to sell. At sunset the Kaffirs 
returned, reporting the deaths of Yambrown and 
Scotland, two of my middle oxen, devoured by 
