es almost surrounded by a ring of
fire, rushed madly to what seemed to them the only place at which they
could possibly escape. When the herd reached the ambush, the men sprang
to their feet, and dashed at it with their spears; the skirmishers, or
as many as had been able to close in on the heels of the game, rushing
in at the same time. It was their practice to avoid interfering with
buffalo or other dangerous game so far as possible, but pallah,
hartebeeste, koodoo, waterbuck and other antelopes were slain in the
manner described, sometimes in great numbers. Then plenty would reign
for a season.

These game-drives were fraught with considerable danger, and on several
occasions some of the men in ambush were trampled to death or seriously
hurt.

Every night the lions roared around their encampment, attracted by the
smell of the meat, but repelled by the fires around which the men
slept. It was found that so long as game was plentiful the lions did
not come close enough to give any serious trouble--they could always he
heard growling, but they made no attack--but in passing through regions
where game was scarce, the lions, grown bold from hunger, would prowl
round and round the camp, silently, and with deeply lurid eyes. One
morning, just before dawn, a lioness dashed into the camp, seized a
sleeping man by the shoulder, and began dragging him off. But in a
moment the marauder was surrounded by spears, and then a desperate
struggle took place. The night was dark, and the watch fires were
nearly dead. Some of the men seized firebrands, which they held aloft
so as to enable their comrades to see. The lioness died hard. The first
frantic dash she made broke the ring for an instant, and she got two
men down under her, one with a broken neck, and the other with a
dislocated hip, whilst a third, who was dashed backwards by a blow from
her paw, had his skull fractured and his shoulder broken. But Senzanga
sprang on the lioness from behind, and by a lucky stroke plunged his
spear into her spine just over the loins. The spear stuck fast between
two of the vertebrae, and the animal gave a roar so tremendous, that it
completely deafened for the moment those nearest to her. But she was
now helpless, and so was easily dispatched. Day soon broke. The man
with the dislocated hip was killed, the lioness was skinned and her
meat eaten, and the expedition moved on, the men singing what is known
as "the war-song of the lion," in full c