proved that they were wise in so doing.
There was no occasion for the lions to roar; the moaning of Begum, and
her clinging to the Major, the trembling of the dogs, and the uneasiness
of the cattle, invariably gave notice of lions being at hand. Shots were
fired off during the night, to keep them at a distance, but otherwise
the night passed away undisturbed.

They started the following morning about daybreak, and, at the same
time, the Caffres took their departure to their own country. The ground
over which the caravan traveled was stony and sandy at intervals, and
they had not proceeded far before they again discovered a great variety
of game dispersed over the level plain. They did not, however, attempt
to pursue them, as they were anxious to go on as far as possible, so as
to give the oxen an opportunity of picking up what little food they
could during the middle of the day, at which time the Major and
Alexander proposed that they should go in pursuit of game. But before
they had traveled three hours, they were surprised at a cloud of dust,
which obscured the horizon, in the direction they were proceeding.

"What can that be?" said Alexander.

"I think it is springbok," said Bremen the Hottentot.

"Springbok! why, there must be thousands and thousands of them."

"I believe that Bremen is right," said Swinton; "it must be one of the
migratory herds of springboks; I have never seen them, but I have often
been told of them."

The body of antelopes now advanced toward them, keeping on a straight
path; and to state their numbers would have been impossible: there might
have been fifty or a hundred thousand, or more. As far as the eye could
see in any direction, it was one moving mass covering the whole plain.
As they approached the caravan, those nearest huddled on one side and
occasionally bounded away with the remarkable springs made by this
animal, and from which it has its name, alighting not upon the earth,
but, for want of room, upon the backs of its companions, and then
dropping in between the ranks.

A hazy vapor arose from these countless herds as they moved on, and more
than once the Hottentots, who were standing on the wagons, which had
been stopped as the herd came up to them, pointed out a lion which was
journeying with the crowds to feast at his leisure. The animals appeared
very tame, and several were killed close to the wheels of the wagons,
for the evening's supper. Notwithstanding that the herd m