o an end!

The horses could travel but little farther. There was nought to feed
them on but the leaves of the mimosas, and this was but poor food for
hungry horses. It would be fortunate if they could be kept alive until
they should reach some pasture; and where now was pasture to be found?
Locusts and antelopes between them seemed to have turned all Africa into
a desert!

The field-cornet soon formed his resolution. He would remain there for
the night, and early on the morrow set out in search of some other
spring.

Fortunately Hans had not neglected to secure a brace of the springboks;
and their fat venison now came into general use. A roast of that, and a
drink of cool water from the spring, soon refreshed the three wearied
travellers.

The horses were let loose among the mimosa-trees, and allowed to shift
for themselves; and although under ordinary circumstances they would
have "turned up their noses" at such food as mimosa-leaves, they now
turned them up in a different sense, and cleared the thorny branches
like so many giraffes.

Some naturalist as the "Buffon" school has stated that neither wolf,
fox, hyena, nor jackal, will eat the carcass of a lion,--that their fear
of the royal despot continues even after his death.

The field-cornet and his family had proof of the want of truth in this
assertion. Before many hours both jackals and hyenas attacked the
carcass of the king of beasts, and in a very short while there was not a
morsel of him there but his bones. Even his tawny skin was swallowed by
these ravenous creatures, and many of the bones broken by the strong
jaws of the hyenas. The respect which these brutes entertain for the
lion ends with his life. When dead, he is eaten by them with as much
audacity as if he were the meanest of animals.

CHAPTER XIV.

SPOORING FOR A SPRING.

Von Bloom was in the saddle at an early hour. Swartboy accompanied him,
while all the others remained by the wagon to await his return. They
took with them the two horses that had remained by the wagon, as these
were fresher than the others.

They rode nearly due westward. They were induced to take this direction
by observing that the springboks had come from the north. By heading
westward they believed they would sooner get beyond the wasted
territory.

To their great satisfaction an hour's travelling carried them clear of
the track of the antelope migration! and although they found no water,
there was excell