truck with the silence maintained by
the large party of Zulus: not a sound was audible, not a foot fall heard
as the men closed in on the den. A wave of the arm by the chief was
sufficient to direct his followers where and how to move. Since those
days I have seen the soldiers of most nations when being reviewed, and I
have been struck with the noise which seemed necessary both in shouting
words of command and in the rattle of accoutrements, all of which
appeared to tend to confusion, and to interfere with watchfulness;
making a surprise by such troops appear impossible; so that I compare
favourably the Zulus, for some purposes, with the best European
soldiers.

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To be able to advance to within a few yards of a lion without waking
him, is a performance which requires the greatest skill; but it was
accomplished, and before the lion could spring to its feet, twenty
assagies were buried in its body. The powerful brute, however, although
bleeding from its many wounds, sprang forward and struck down one of the
Zulus. But, quickly as the lion moved, the Zulus behind him followed
with equal rapidity, and assagy after assagy was buried deep in the
lion's body. After vainly tearing at the spears that were sticking in
him, the lion sank to the ground and was instantly despatched.

Only two men were wounded--neither very badly; a result due entirely to
the careful manner in which the lion had been crept on. Inyovu told me
that if the lion had been aware of our approach, he would have charged
before he could have been speared; and that thirty or forty men would
have been killed to a certainty before the lion was rendered harmless.

The lion was soon skinned, his teeth and claws extracted and taken
charge of by Inyovu. The flesh of the lion was eaten after a very
little cooking, and was much appreciated by the Zulus, especially the
heart, the eating of which is supposed to give great courage and
strength.

Our return journey was quickly accomplished, and we were received by the
Great Chief at his kraal. Inyovu gave a description of what he had
done, both in getting the news and stalking the lion. He went through
all the movements most graphically, creeping along very slowly, and then
showing how he hurled his assagy at the lion, and how the lion charged
and struck down one man. It was a very good description, and any
listener must have had as goo