used to let myself drop down, tie up my pony to a
stump, and await my men. Several disagreeable incidents
happened to me in this way. One day I had started
ahead for my afternoon march. Towards 5.30 I reached
Tamakaliani Vley, and after securing my pony I crawled
under a shelter I had built on my way up. All of a
sudden I heard the roar of a lion : it seemed to be quite
close b y ; my pony was shaking with fear, and trying
to break the reins by which I had fastened him to a
tree. His master, I confess, was not less afraid. I only
had a revolver, and I was helpless. Looking round I
caught sight of the lion a quarter of a mile away, fanning
himself with his tail and already rejoicing at the good
meal he was going to enjoy. With what longing I
looked at a tree that was close b y ; I made a desperate
effort to rise, but in vain. Being unable to do anything
else I remained still, but I felt most uncomfortable.
Then it struck me that the lion would probably
prefer a well-fed pony to a half-starved, bilious, fever-
stricken, tobacco-stinking piece of humanity like me:
and I awaited the course of events. A few minutes
later—minutes that seemed hours to me—my men came
along singing, and the lion disappeared. That night
we made big fires all round the camp; but although
we heard the lion once or'twice, he did not come to
disturb us.
Another time I had to cross a huge plain, at the
end of which a big palm tree stood as a landmark.
The waggon track made a long detour to the left, so
I thought of taking a short cut: the sun was broiling
hot,, and when I reached the middle of the plain I
suddenly noticed that the palm I was making for was
swinging round. I understood that I was pretty near
fainting, and had to brace myself up, as, had I fainted,
my men, who were certain to follow the waggon track,
would not have failed to go on, thinking that I was
ahead; and therefore I stood a good chance of feeding the
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wild beasts. At last I reached the palm tree, and pushed
on ahead until 10 a.m. I let myself drop under a shady
tree, and, having fastened my pony to a stump, went to
sleep. When I awoke I looked at my watch; half-past
eleven and no-sign of my men; I felt certain that they
must have passed on without seeing me—a foolish idea,
considering that my pony was tied up within a couple of
yards of the path; but my fever-worked brain did not
realize this. I waited a quarter of an hour, half an hour;
no one. I made up my mind to go and look for them,
so, crawling on all fours, I approached my pony. This
frightened him ; he backed, broke the stump to which he
was fastened, and started away. Well knowing how
difficult it was to catch him, once loose, and how apt he
was to stray away, I determined to catch him myself, as
had I lost him, I should have been unable to go any
further. So I crawled on all fours towards him ; with
the pains I suffered in my knees this was agony. At last
I got within two yards. I stretched out my hand to seize
the reins, but at this moment off he started and went
fully fifty yards further, when he stopped to graze. Once
more I went after him, crawling on my belly this time.
My hands were torn by the bush and thorns, but I
•managed to get within a yard of him; I was just going
to grasp the reins hanging on the ground when off he
went as before. The strain on my nerves was such, my
position seemed so desperate, that I sobbed violently like a
child. I was nearly 150 yards from the road, too weak to
get back there, and running the risk of being left behind
should my men pass on, which they might do at any
moment. I was in this uncomfortable state of mind
when I noticed that my horse had caught his hind fetlock
in the reins and was unable to move on any further. He
lugged and pulled and shook his head ; would the rein
stand the strain ? I trembled at the thought of its giving
way. Once more I braced myself up, and taking a piece
of wood as a support I dragged myself like a snake
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