punish them for their neglect," said Swinton, "by
stopping their tobacco for the week; for if they find that we attend to
the fires ourselves, they will not keep one in, that you may depend
upon. However, we will discuss that point to-morrow, so good-night."

Omrah came to the Major the next morning, before the oxen were yoked, to
say that the Bushmen had found the lion, and that he was not yet dead,
but nearly so; that the animal had dragged away that portion of the ox
that he did not eat, about half a mile further; that there he had lain
down, and he was so sick that he could not move.

At this intelligence they mounted their horses, and, guided by the
Bushmen, arrived at the bush where the lion lay. The Bushmen entered at
once, for they had previously reconnoitered, and were saluted with a low
snarl, very different from the roar of the preceding night. Our
travelers followed, and found the noble creature in his last agonies,
his strength paralyzed, and his eyes closed. One or two of the small
arrows of the Bushmen were still sticking in his hide, and did not
appear to have entered more than half an inch; but the poison was so
subtle, that it had rapidly circulated through his whole frame; and
while they were looking down upon the noble beast, it dropped its jaws
and expired.

As our travelers turned back to join the caravan, Alexander observed:
"Those Bushmen, diminutive as they are in size, and contemptible as
their weapons appear, must be dangerous enemies, when the mere prick of
one of their small arrows is certain death. What is their poison
composed of?"

"Of the venom extracted from snakes, which is mixed up with the juice of
the euphorbia, and boiled down till it becomes of the consistency of
glue. They then dip the heads of the arrows into it, and let it dry on."

"Is then the venom of snakes so active after it has been taken away from
the animal?"

"Yes, for a considerable time after. I remember a story, which is, I
believe, well authenticated, of a man who had been bitten through his
boot by a rattlesnake in America. The man died, and shortly afterward
his two sons died one after the other, with just the same symptoms as
their father, although they had not been bitten by snakes. It was
afterward discovered that upon the father's death the sons had one after
the other taken possession of and put on his boots, and the boots being
examined, the fang of the rattlesnake was discovered to have passed
throu