THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 
227 
the two unfortunate steeds, roaring terribly. I felt rather alarmed for 
their safety; but, trusting that the lion had had flesh enough for one 
night, I lay still, and listened with an attentive ear. In a few minutes, 
to my utter horror, I heard him spring upon one of the steeds with an 
angry growl, and dash him to the earth; the steed gave a slight groan, 
and all was still. I listened to hear the sound of teeth, but all continued 
still. Soon after this ‘Tao/ was once more heard to be munching the 
buffalo. In a few minutes he came forward, and stood on the bank 
close above us, and roared most terribly, walking up and down, as if 
meditating some mischief. I now thought it high time to make a fire, 
and, quickly collecting some dry reeds and little sticks, in half a minute 
we had a cheerful blaze. The lion, which had not yet got our wind, 
came forward at once to find out what the deuce was up; but, not 
seeing to his entire satisfaction from the top of the bank he was pro¬ 
ceeding to descend by a game-path into the river-bed within a few 
yards of us. I happened at the very moment to go to this spot to fetch 
more wood, and, being entirely concealed from the lion’s view above 
by the intervening high reeds, we actually met face to face! The first 
notice I got was his sudden spring to one side, accompanied by repeated 
angry growls, while I involuntarily made a convulsive spring back¬ 
ward, at the same time giving a fearful shriek, such as I never before 
remember uttering. I fancied, just as he growled, he was coming 
upon me. We now heaped on more wood, and kept up a very strong 
fire until the day dawned, the lions feasting beside us all the time, 
notwithstanding the remonstrances of the little native, who, with a 
true Bechuana spirit, lamenting the loss of so much good flesh, kept 
continually shouting and pelting them with flaming brands. 
“The next morning, when it was clear, I arose and inspected the 
buffaloes. The three that had fallen were fine old cows, and two of 
them were partly consumed by the lions. The ground all around was 
packed flat with their spoor; one particular spoor was nearly as large 
as that of a borele. I then proceeded to inspect the steeds; the sand 
around them was also covered with the lion’s spoor. He had sprung 
upon the Old Gray but had done him no further injury than scratching 
his back through the skin: perhaps the lion had been scared by the 
rheims, or on discovering his spare condition, had preferred the 
buffalo.” 
