d the fire
increased. Hendrick's name was shouted; but all was then still. I told
the men he was dead, and had everything brought within the cattle-fold,
lighted a fire, and closed the entrance as well as we could. We sat with
our guns in our hands till daylight, expecting a lion every moment; the
dogs fought one another, then got scent of the lion, and barked at him
till day broke, he now and then driving them back; and he lay all the
night within forty yards of the party, having dragged the man into a
little hollow at the back of the bush. He had grappled him with his
claws, and bitten him in the breast and shoulder, all the while feeling
for his neck, and when he got hold of that dragged him into the shade.
The poor man cried, 'Help me, help me, oh God! Men, help me!' then all
was still, except that his comrades heard the cracking of his bones. The
beast did not heed the beating about the head with the burning wood. The
lion dragged the remains of him away the next morning, but in the hollow
was found one of poor Hendrick's legs, the shoe still on the foot, with
fragments of his coat. The next day came the lion's turn; for the party,
by killing him, avenged the death of poor Hendrick."

It has often been said that the human voice has great power over the
fiercest animals; and I do not think a stronger proof of it can be met
with, than in this adventure of Mr. Gordon Cumming's:--"I fired at the
nearest lioness, having only one shot in my rifle. The ball told badly;
the lioness at which I had fired wheeled right round, and came on,
lashing her tail, showing her teeth, and making that horrid, murderous,
deep growl, which an angry lion generally utters. Her comrade hastily
retreated. The instant the lioness came on, I stood up to my full
height, holding my rifle, and my arms extended high above my head. This
checked her in her course, but on looking round, and missing her
comrade, and observing Ruyter slowly advancing, she was still more
exasperated, and fancying that she was near being surrounded, she made
another forward movement, growling terribly. This was a moment of great
danger, I felt that my only chance of safety was extreme steadiness, so,
standing motionless as a rock, with my eyes firmly fixed upon her, I
called in a clear, commanding voice, 'Holloa, old girl! What's the
hurry? take it easy! Holloa! holloa!' She once more halted and seemed
perplexed, looking round for her comrade. I then thought it prudent to