besides, it penetrates but a very little way into the
darkness, although if one is in the dark outside, one can see it from
far away.

"Presently the oxen, after standing still for a moment, suddenly winded
the lion and did what I feared they would do--began to 'skrek,' that is,
to try and break loose from the trektow to which they were tied, to rush
off madly into the wilderness. Lions know of this habit on the part of
oxen, which are, I do believe, the most foolish animals under the sun,
a sheep being a very Solomon compared to them; and it is by no means
uncommon for a lion to get in such a position that a herd or span of
oxen may wind him, skrek, break their reims, and rush off into the bush.
Of course, once there, they are helpless in the dark; and then the lion
chooses the one that he loves best and eats him at his leisure.

"Well, round and round went our six poor oxen, nearly trampling us to
death in their mad rush; indeed, had we not hastily tumbled out of the
way, we should have been trodden to death, or at the least seriously
injured. As it was, Harry was run over, and poor Jim-Jim being caught
by the trektow somewhere beneath the arm, was hurled right across the
skerm, landing by my side only some paces off.

"Snap went the disselboom of the cart beneath the transverse strain put
upon it. Had it not broken the cart would have overset; as it was,
in another minute, oxen, cart, trektow, reims, broken disselboom, and
everything were soon tied in one vast heaving, plunging, bellowing, and
seemingly inextricable knot.

"For a moment or two this state of affairs took my attention off from
the lion that had caused it, but whilst I was wondering what on earth
was to be done next, and how we should manage if the cattle broke loose
into the bush and were lost--for cattle frightened in this manner will
so straight away like mad things--my thoughts were suddenly recalled to
the lion in a very painful fashion.

"For at that moment I perceived by the light of the fire a kind of gleam
of yellow travelling through the air towards us.

"'The lion! the lion!' holloaed Pharaoh, and as he did so, he, or rather
she, for it was a great gaunt lioness, half wild no doubt with hunger,
lit right in the middle of the skerm, and stood there in the smoky gloom
lashing her tail and roaring. I seized my rifle and fired it at her,
but what between the confusion, my agitation, and the uncertain light,
I missed her, and nearly shot Ph