ur meal, we lay down by the fire, with our muskets
loaded close to us, and our ammunition placed out of danger. We were so
tired that we were soon fast asleep. It had been agreed that Romer
should keep the first watch, and Hastings the middle, and I the morning;
but Romer fell asleep, and the consequence was, that the fire was not
kept up. It was about midnight that I was awakened by something
breathing hard in my face, and just as I could recall my senses and open
my eyes, I found myself lifted up by my waistband, and the teeth of some
animal pinching my flesh. I tried to catch at my musket, but I put out
my wrong hand, and laid hold of a still lighted brand out of the fire,
which I darted into the animal's face; it let me drop directly, and ran
away."

"What a providential escape!" said Mrs Seagrave.

"Yes, it was, ma'am; the animal was a hyena. Fortunately they are a
very cowardly sort of beast; still, had it not been for the lighted
stick, it would have carried me off, for I was very small then, and it
lifted me up as if I was a feather in its mouth. The shout I gave woke
Hastings, who seized his musket and fired. I was very much frightened,
as you may suppose. As for Romer, he never woke till we pushed him
hard, he was so completely knocked up. This affair, of course, made us
more cautious, and afterwards we lighted two fires, and slept between
them, one always remaining on the watch. For a week we travelled on,
and as soon as we were over the mountains, we turned our heads to the
northward. Our provisions were all gone, and we were one day without
any; but we killed an antelope called a spring-bock, which gave us
provisions for three or four days: there was no want of game after we
had descended into the plain. I forgot to mention, however, a narrow
escape we had, just before we had left an extensive forest on the side
of the mountain. We had walked till past noon, and were very much
tired; we decided upon taking our dinner under a large tree, and we
threw ourselves down in the shade. Hastings was lying on his back, with
his eyes looking upwards, when he perceived on the lower branch of the
tree a panther, which lay along it, his green eyes fixed upon us, and
ready to spring; he seized his musket, and fired it without taking aim,
for there was no time; but the ball entered the stomach of the animal,
and, as it appeared, divided its back-bone. Down came the beast, within
three or four feet of where