. I then took some
myself, and filled our bottle. I felt a longing to take another swim,
but afraid that the lions might come upon us while I was in the water, I
refrained. I was fortunate in killing five more birds, out of a covey
which rose just as we sat down by the water's brink.

Having rested for some time by the side of the pond, we continued our
journey. We saw herds of animals in the distance--gemsboks, steinboks,
gnus, and cameleopards--but they were too far off to enable me to get a
shot at any of them. We stopped frequently, for Natty was unable to
proceed without doing so. Thus the day had come nearly to a close
before we had made much progress. I was looking out anxiously for some
spot where we might camp for the night, when I saw on our right what
appeared to be the fallen trunk of some giant of a former forest, for no
other trees were near it.

"I dare say we may there find shelter," I observed, pointing it out to
Natty.

"But see!" he said, "there are some animals moving about round it."

As we got nearer, I saw several heads rising among the roots and fallen
branches. They appeared to me to be hyenas, or hyena-dogs, similar to
the pack which had visited us. They, however, with their ears pricked
forward, were so eager in watching some object on the opposite side of
them that they did not perceive us. We were thus able to move on
without being discovered. Presently we perceived what had occupied
their attention; for the leaders of a herd of buffaloes appeared in
sight, going along a shallow valley on the other side of the fallen
tree. Even at that distance we could hear the hollow sound of their
feet as they dashed over the ground. On they went with their heads
lowered, and tails in the air, faster and faster, a regular stampedo.
What had caused their flight we could not ascertain. Whether it was
alarm at some danger behind them, or whether they were driven by an
impulse which sometimes makes the bovine race dash headlong over the
ground without any apparent cause, we could not tell.

"One thing I am very thankful for," observed Natty,--"that we are not in
their way, or we should have but a poor chance of escaping them.
Perhaps the dogs expect one of them to fall, and are looking out for a
feast."

"At all events, we must take care not to allow ourselves to be attacked
instead of them," I observed. "I am far from certain indeed that they
are dogs. They appear to me larger, and rat