instant to be engaged in deadly combat with a
panther or a lion. I sprang to my feet, seizing my rifle and calling to
my companions. The next moment I saw that the creature was a jackal,
and scarcely worthy of a shot. Still undaunted, he was on the point of
seizing one of the packs nearest to him, when I hove a log of wood at
his head. On this he beat a retreat, uttering a mocking shout of
laughter--so it seemed to me--and quickly disappeared. The alarm he had
caused prevented us wishing again to go to sleep; and well it was we did
not, for directly afterwards the roar of a lion broke the silence of
night. Igubo threw more logs on the five, and as the flames burst up we
saw two or three huge monsters stalking round us, but afraid to
approach. Now they came near enough for the light of the fire to shine
on them; but directly afterwards, even before I could get my rifle ready
to shoot, they had disappeared in the dark shades of the surrounding
trees or bushes.

"As soon as it was daylight, we once more commenced our march. We had
not gone far, when the two boys, who were a little in advance, came
rushing back with countenances of dismay, to let us understand that they
had suddenly come upon some huge beast which was on the point of
springing on them. We advanced, in consequence, cautiously, expecting
every moment to meet the monster. In a short time we caught sight of a
gigantic tiger-wolf, or spotted hyena, sitting under a bush, and
growling fiercely at us. I raised my rifle to fire, expecting the beast
to spring; but it sat without moving. On getting nearer, what was my
horror to see that his forepaws and the skin and flesh of the legs had
been gnawed away! Still he showed his savage nature by endeavouring to
crawl towards us. To put an end to his sufferings, I fired at his head,
when he sank to the ground; and Igubo, running up to him, seized him by
the tail, and struck him several times with his knife, though it was not
until after repeated blows that an end was put to the creature's
existence. How he had been thus mangled, I could not at first
understand, till Igubo asserted that it had been done by a lion; that
probably they had quarrelled over their prey, and that then the lion had
attacked him and mangled him in the dreadful manner I have described.
Had we not found him, he would certainly have died miserably in the
course of another day or two, and very likely have fallen a victim to an
army of sol