ty. The very _same species_ in South America eats
Indians by scores every year; and the crocodile of Africa is dreaded in
some parts even more than the lion!

It is asserted that the lions of the Cape are more cowardly in some
districts than in others. They are less brave in those districts where
they have been "jaged" by the courageous and stalwart boer with his long
loud-cracking "roer."

Beyond the frontier, where they have no enemy but the tiny arrow of the
Bushman (who does not desire to kill them!) and the slender "assegai" of
the Bechuana, the lion has little or no fear of man.

Whether the one, before the eyes of our party, was naturally a brave
one, could not yet be told. He was one with a huge black mane, or
"schwart-fore life," as the boers term it; and these are esteemed the
fiercest and most dangerous. The "yellow-maned,"--for there is
considerable variety in the colour of the Cape lions--is regarded as
possessing less courage; but there is some doubt about the truth of
this. The young "black-manes" may often be mistaken for the true yellow
variety, and their character ascribed to him to his prejudice,--for the
swarthy colour of the mane only comes after the lion is many years of
age.

Whether the "schwart-fore life" was a fierce and brave one, Von Bloom
did not stay to think about. It was evident that the edge had been taken
off the animal's appetite. It was evident he did not meditate an attack;
and that had the horsemen chosen to make a detour, and ride peacefully
away, they might have continued their journey without ever seeing or
hearing of him again.

But the field-cornet had no such intention. He had lost his precious
oxen and cattle. _That_ lion had pulled down some of them, at least. The
Dutch blood was up, and if the beast had been the strongest and fiercest
of his tribe, he was bound to be brought out of that bush.

Ordering the others to remain where they were, Von Bloom advanced on
horseback until within about fifty paces of where the lion lay. Here he
drew up, coolly dismounted, passed the bridle over his arm, stuck his
loading-rod into the ground, and knelt down behind it.

You will fancy he would have been safer to have kept his saddle, as the
lion cannot overtake a horse. True; but the lion would have been safer
too. It is no easy matter to fire correctly from any horse; but when the
mark happens to be a grim lion, he is a well-trained steed that will
stand sufficiently firm to admi