d
hunter, seized the man's foot with its teeth, and actually tore it off,
so that, although medical aid was at hand, the man died from loss of
blood."

"One would hardly expect such a tragical issue to the chase of a wild
jackass," observed the Major.

"No; but 'in the midst of life we are in death,' and we never know from
whence the blow may come. Until it occurred, such an event was supposed
impossible, and the very idea would have created nothing but ridicule.
By the by, one of our good missionaries was very near losing his life by
a leopard. He went to save a Hottentot who had been seized, and was
attacked by the leopard which, as in the former instance, left his
first antagonist to meet his second. Fortunately, Mr. S. was a very
powerful man, and assistance was sooner given him than in the former
instance. Neither he nor the Hottentot, however, escaped without severe
wounds, which confined them for many weeks."

"Is there more than one variety of leopard, Swinton?"

"Yes, there is the common leopard and the hunting leopard; besides, I
think, two or three smaller varieties, as the tiger-cat and wild cat.
What do you propose doing to-day? Do you stay here, or advance, Wilmot?"

"Why, the Major wishes to have a shot at the gnoos; he has never killed
one yet; and as I am of his opinion, that a day's rest will recover the
oxen, and we are in no hurry, I think we may as well stop and provision
our camp for a few days."

"With all my heart. I am sorry that the hyena has added to our store, by
obliging us to kill the poor ox; however, it can not be helped. There is
a large body of gnoos and quaggas under that small hill to the westward;
but there are better animals for the table when we get a little further
to the northward."

"Which are those?"

"The eland, the largest of the antelope species, and sometimes weighing
more than a thousand pounds; moreover, they are very fat, and very easy
to run down. They are excellent eating. When I was in the Namaquas'
land, we preferred them to any other food; but I see another variety of
game on the plain there."

"What?"

Omrah pointed them out. "They are either Bushmen (tame Bushmen, as they
are called, in contradistinction to the others), or else Korannas; most
probably the latter. They are coming right towards us; but Mahomed says
breakfast is ready."

By the time that breakfast was finished, a party of twelve Korannas had
joined the caravan. They made signs that the