we had a cheerful blaze.  The lion, which had not yet got our wind, came forward at once to find out what the deuse was up; but, not seeing to his entire satisfaction from the top of the bank, he was proceeding 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 backward, 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.

HUNTING THE WHITE RHINOCEROS,

Lion, buffalo, and giraffe.

Upon the 9th, says Mr. Cumming, it rained unceasingly throughout the day, converting the rich soil on which we were encamped into one mass of soft, sticky clay.  In the forenoon, fearing the rain would continue so as to render the valley (through which we must pass to gain the firmer ground) impassible, I ordered my men to prepare to march, and leave the tent with its contents standing, the point which I wished to gain being distant only about five hundred yards.  When the oxen were inspanned, however, and we attempted to move, we found my tackle, which was old, so rotten from the effects of the rain, that something gave way at every strain.  Owing to this and to the softness of the valley, we labored on till sundown, and only succeeded in bringing one wagon to its destination, the other two remained fast in the mud in the middle of the valley.  Next morning, luckily, the weather cleared up, when my men brought over the tent, and in the afternoon the other two wagons.