his waggon. She had run away from her owner because she knew that
he intended to sell her as a slave as soon as she was full-grown, and as
she did not wish to be sold she determined to follow the missionary's
waggon on foot to Kuruman. The good doctor took up the frightened little
creature and provided her with food and drink. Suddenly he heard her cry
out. She had caught sight of a man with a gun who had been sent out to
fetch her and who now came angrily to the waggon. It never occurred to
Livingstone to leave the defenceless child in the hands of the wretch.
He took the girl under his protection and told her that no danger would
befall her henceforth. She was a symbol of Africa, the home of the
slave-trade. And Africa's slaves needed the help of a great and strong
man. Livingstone understood the call and worked to his last hour for the
liberation of the slaves, as Gordon did many years later. He strove
against the cruel and barbarous customs of the natives and their dark
superstitions, and hoped in time to be able to train pupils who would
be sent out to preach all over the country. In one tribe the
medicine-men were also rainmakers. Livingstone pointed out to the people
of the tribe that the rainmakers' jugglery was only a fraud and of no
use, but offered, if they liked, himself to procure water for the
irrigation of their fields, not by witchcraft but by conducting it along
a canal from the neighbouring river. Some rough tools were first hewn
out, and he had soon the whole tribe at work, and the canal and conduits
were laid out among the crops. And there stood the witch-doctors put to
shame, as they heard the water purling and filtering into the soil.

In 1843 Livingstone started off to found a new mission-station, named
Mabotsa. The chief of the place was quite willing to sell land, and he
received glass beads and other choice wares in payment. Mabotsa lay not
far from the present Mafeking, but seventy years ago the whole region
was a wild. On one occasion a lion broke into the village and worried
the sheep. The natives turned out with their weapons, and Livingstone
took the lead. The disturber of the peace was badly wounded and retired
to the bush. But suddenly he rushed out again, threw himself on
Livingstone, buried his teeth in his shoulder, and crushed his left arm.
The lion had his paw already on the missionary's head, when a Christian
native ran up and struck and slashed at the brute. The lion loosed his
hol