Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 29.djvu/636

618 Bamansrwatos. The margin of the Crocodile River here is covered with thick timber or dense masses of reeds, but, as you retire a mile from the above-named water-course, bush-veldt becomes the dominant feature of the landscape, and is the haunt of innumerable species of the larger descriptions of African antelope. This may well be accepted when I state that from my wagon-box I have seen, at break of day, hartebeeste, wildebeeste, eland, and sassabi within easy rifle range of my position. Moreover, buffalo, quagga (the favorite food of lions), and giraffe were far from scarce in this vicinity. Thus it is not to be wondered at that the king of beasts should be found numerous where there was to be obtained such an abundance of his favorite food, while water and shelter, two necessaries to his existence, were ever close at hand.

Nightly we had heard for nearly a month the deep-muttered growl or awful roar of the monarch of the waste, but, the weather being fine and the nights clear, had little dread of his attacking either my bullocks or horses. Another protection I possessed against lions intruding themselves into my camp was, that with me were a troop of dogs of such excellence as had seldom been seen in an African hunter's camp. Several of these dogs had been imported, and great care was taken in their selection that strength and courage was their sine qua non, as they were to be my companions in a very distant journey.

The other dogs that completed the pack had been procured from the colony, and therefore had considerable experience in the pursuit of the smaller varieties of buck, as well as an occasional encounter with some of the larger members of the cat family, such as leopards, caracals, etc., for these species of the feræ naturæ still are to be found in considerable abundance south of the Orange River. The morning previous to the occurrence of the incident to which I owe the obtaining of my two pets, Leo and Juno, broke with such an appearance of bad weather that, by the advice of my servants, I determined to shift my camping-place to more elevated and, therefore, drier ground. A ridge, thickly covered with mapini brush, and here and there studded with meruli and mimosa trees, was selected for our new encampment, and, as the distance to it was not over six miles, it was not deemed necessary to inspan the bullocks till three hours after noon. Although the weather had threatened since sunrise, the rain kept off until we had completed about half our journey, when, as is not unusual in tropical climates, commenced one of those down-pours that have to be experienced to be appreciated. But this was not all; with the rain came thunder, and with the thunder, lightning, of which it would be difficult to say whether the awe-inspiring voice of the one was more terrible to listen to than the sight of the brilliant, rapidly repeated flashes of the other. Bullocks can not trek with wet yokes, or their shoulders become galled; thus I had to call a halt, although no shelter was near to shield us from the warring elements. I have witnessed thunder-storms in the