e enough for want of better."

Drawing his knife, he at once commenced operations on the giraffe. We
soon, having secured as much of the meat as we could require, ran a
couple of sticks through it and started off to return to the camp.

Darkness, however, came down upon us before we had gone far; still, we
hoped to be able to find our way. Scarcely, however, had the sun set,
when the mutterings and roars of lions saluted our ears; and of course
we had the uncomfortable feeling that at any moment one of them might
spring out on us. We cast many an anxious glance round, and kept our
rifles in our hands ready for instant use, hoping that we should have
time to see a lion before he was upon us. We had no fear at present of
human foes, as the country through which we were travelling was
uninhabited; though we might fall in with hunting parties, who were,
however, likely to prove friendly. Besides lions, there was a
possibility of our encountering hyaenas, leopards, and wolves, which,
when hunting in packs, are as dangerous as in other parts of the world.

My uncle made me go ahead, while he kept five or six paces behind, so
that, should a lion spring out at me, he might be ready to come to my
assistance. We kept shouting too, to scare away any of the brutes we
most dreaded; for, savage as is the lion, he is a cowardly animal except
when pressed by hunger. Fortunately the sky was clear, and the stars
shining out brightly enabled us to steer our course by them; but we went
on and on, and I began to fear that we had already passed our camp. I
expressed my apprehensions to my uncle.

"No!" he answered, "we are all right. We shall see the fire in a short
time, unless Jan has let it out, which is not likely."

"But perhaps a lion may have carried him off, and killed our ox also,
and we shall then be in a sad plight," I remarked.

"Nonsense, Fred!" he answered; "you are overtired with your long walk,
and allow gloomy apprehensions to oppress you. I wish that I had not
brought you so far."

After this I said no more, but exerted myself to the utmost; though I
could scarcely drag one foot after the other, and had it become
necessary to run for our lives, I do not think I could have moved. I
looked about, now on one side now on the other, and fancied that I could
see the vast heads and shaggy manes of huge lions watching us from among
the trees. I did not fear their roars as long as they were at a
distance. At leng