ppearance. This one, in all probability, came up
the stream far from its usual haunts.

I kept my rifle and pistols ready for instant use. The time seemed very
long. As I listened to the noises in the forest, I fancied that I could
hear the roaring and mutterings of lions, and the cries of hyaenas.
Several times I took my rifle in my hand, expecting to see a lion
stealing up to the camp. I caught sight in the distance of the tall
necks of a troop of giraffes stalking across the country, followed soon
afterwards by a herd of bounding blesboks, but no creatures came near
me. At last my uncle and Jan returned with our four-footed attendants.

"We have carried the monster's carcase far enough off to prevent it from
poisoning us by its horrible odour when it putrifies, which it will in a
few hours," he observed. "But I am afraid that it will attract the
hyaenas and jackals in no small numbers, so that we shall be annoyed by
their howls and screechings. I am sorry to say also that the horses
seem ill able to perform their work, and I greatly fear that they have
been injured by the tsetse fly. If we lose them we shall have a
difficulty in getting along. However, we won't despair until the evil
day comes."

I should have said that my uncle, just before he rescued Jan from the
hippopotamus, had shot another antelope, which he had brought to the
camp, so that we were in no want of food.

Several days went by. Though I certainly was not worse, my recovery was
very slow, and I was scarcely better able to travel than I was at first;
though I told my uncle that I would try and ride if he wished to move
on.

"I doubt if either of the horses can carry you," he answered. "Both are
getting thin and weak, and have a running from their nostrils, which Jan
says is the result of the tsetse poison. If you are better in a day or
two we will try and advance to the next stream or water-hole; and
perhaps we may fall in with natives, from whom we may purchase some oxen
to replace our horses. It will be a great disappointment to lose the
animals, for I had counted on them for hunting."

That night we were entertained by a concert of hideous howlings and
cries, produced we had no doubt by the hyaenas and jackals; but by
keeping up a good fire, and occasionally discharging our rifles, we
prevented them from approaching the camp.

At the end of two days I fancied myself better. We accordingly
determined the next morning to recomm