nce of another animal in the same place, and, roaring once more
loudly, it took its way towards the carrion, where it began tearing and
rending the flesh, the wounded ape, now in safety, moaning bitterly, as
the clouds cleared away slowly to the southward, the storm passing along
the mountain range. At length the lion rose, and, with a low growl as
he passed the tree where the noisy baboon was seated, walked down to the
river to drink. He was a very large one, his mane and tail being
unusually dark. Slowly and deliberately the magnificent animal walked
into the pool. The report of the heavy rifle rang out, the ball
striking him right between the eyes, as he stooped his head to drink.
With a wild convulsive bound, the lion cleared the stream, falling
heavily into the brushwood beyond. Sounds somewhat between a moan of
pain and a growl of rage followed, one or two heavy sobs, the breaking
of the brushwood, as the huge carcass fell over on its side, and then,
save the cry of the jackals and hyenas, the moaning of the ape, and the
distant rattle of the thunder, all was still.

Volume 1, Chapter VII.

THE FIRST ELEPHANT.

Nearly an hour passed, and the watcher, tired, wet, and worn out, was
thinking of the snug fire on the mountain-side, and the tent pitched
near it; for certainly he had passed through quite sufficient danger and
emotion for one night at least, when several spotted hyenas came down to
drink. Some wild boar followed, and it was a strong temptation to the
hunter to fire, when a desperate fight took place between two old boars
close to him. The storm had quite passed away, cooling the heated air
in its passage; the moon and stars were shining brightly, and soon
bounding over the plain, with their peculiarly dancing motion, came a
herd of springbok. Moving along at a great pace, springing from the
ground into the air, and hardly seeming to touch the earth again for the
next bound, on came the graceful antelope euchore. Even in the day time
the motions of this animal are so quick, that the eye cannot follow its
bounds in their details, only realising the pace as a whole, but in the
clear, silvery moonlight, they seemed like a troop of fairy elves, to
the tired watcher, as they came dancing along over the African plain.
Dashing fearlessly into the water, the herd began to drink, with one
exception. An old buck, from whose gait the inference might have been
drawn that he had been previously wounded, sto