off it. We were not, however,
molested, and with infinite satisfaction we dragged the animals one by
one up to the neighbourhood of our camp, where we commenced cutting them
up, although, I must confess, we were not expert in that part of the
huntsman's art. By the time we had finished our task, and hung up the
deer as near to our fire as possible, the sun had sunk below the
horizon.

We again went down to the lake, and were much disappointed at not seeing
the canoe Aboh had promised to bring us. As it was not likely,
therefore, that he would arrive that night, we made up our minds to camp
at the same spot as before. There was no time to lose, and so,
collecting firewood, we prepared to pass the night. It might seem an
easy task to get a supply of sticks, but it was a dangerous one. Not
only did we run the risk of disturbing some venomous snake, but were
nearly certain to find scorpions almost as deadly among the dried wood.
Our plan, therefore, was to scrape together the sticks with a long
staff, and turn them over before attempting to bind them up into faggots
for conveying to the camp. I had not long been thus employed, when a
big scorpion crept out from a mass of bark; I laid my stick, which it
bit severely, on its back, striking its sting into the wood before I
crushed it to death. Having collected a sufficient amount of fuel to
last for the night, we put up a lean-to, under which we could shelter
ourselves from the night dew, though it would afford but a slight
protection against any hungry animal which might venture near, as
leopards and lions might occasionally do. We filled our saucepan with
water, and made every preparation for the night, not forgetting to cook
as much venison as we could possibly eat. Having taken a plentiful
supper we were about to lie down, when Charley said that he would first
take a look round the camp. Not far off was the huge trunk of a fallen
tree, over which bushes had already begun to grow. I saw Charley
suddenly sink down behind it, and as I was following him, he made a sign
to me to creep along under its shelter. I did so, and presently caught
sight of a huge animal advancing in a stealthy fashion along the open
ground. I at once knew it to be a leopard. Charley put up his hand,
signing me to be cautious. The leopard approached, attracted, I have no
doubt, by the smell of the venison, or by the remainder of the carcasses
of the deer, which were not far off.

Wheth