The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-08-20

a koodco or an Gland. To M delight
there the little creature lay-thc huge
bullet had decap pita ted it. Considering all
the circumstances do not think ! havo
often made better shot thar this, but
if any one doubts. let him t. his hand
at rabbits head fifty y,.rds away with
an elephant gun and q thcec-ouncc ball.
I picked up the Petite in triumph and
returned to tho camp. There VIC skinned
him and toasted him over the fire. He
just made a good meal for us, keeping
his hind legs for breakfast.
There was TO moon that night, and so
it CHANGED that when suddenly rcnem-
bered the lion spoor, and suggested that
we had better tie up the horses quite
close to us, We could not find them,
though we knew that they were grazing
within fifty yards. This being so, we
could only make up the fire and take our
chance. Shortly aftcrward l went to
sleep with little 7 t. in NY arms. Sud
denly was awal1 ned By hearing that
peculiar painful sound, the scream Of 4
horse, quite close to the fire, which was
still burning brightly. Next second
there came a noise Of galloping hoofs,
and before I could even rise my poor
horse appeared in the ring OF freight.
AS in a flash of lightning saw his star
ing eyes and wide-stretched Eostrils, ard
the broken rein with which he had been
knec-haltcrcd flying in the az. Also l
saw something else, for or his back was
great dark. form with glowing eyes,
and from the form came g growing
sound. It was a lion.
The horse dashed on. He galloped
right through the fire, FOR which he had
run in his terror-iortUnately, however,
without treading OF us-and vanished
into the night. We heard his boots for Z
hundred yards cr more; then there was
silence, broken now and again BY dis
tant growls. As may be imagaineG, we
did not sleep any more that night, but
waited anxiousiy till, ti"o hours later,
the dawn broke.
AS soon as there was sufficient light
we rose. and, leaving Tota still asleep,
crept cautiously IL the direction in
which the horse had vanished. When
we had gone fifty yards CT SO we naado
out the remains lying on the Tcldt, and
caught sight of two great cat-lile forms
sinking away IN the gray light.
To 60 any further was useless; we
knew all about it now, and we turned to
look for the other horse. But our cup OF
misfortune was not yet full. It was no
where to be.found. Soon VIC came upon its
spoor, and then We saw what had hap
pened. Terrified b. the sight and smell
of the lions, it had with q desperate cf-
fort also burst the rein With which it had
been kncc-haltercd and gallopcd far
away. For now We were left alone N
these vast solituGcs without horse to
carry US, and with child VINO was not
old enough to walk more than & little
way at time.
We'll, it was TO use giving in, Sc, with
q few words, VIC went back to orr camp,
where I found Tota crying because she
had woke to find herself alone, and ate
little food. Then we prepared to start.
First, We divided such articles as we
must take with us into two equal parts,
rejecting every thing that we could pos
sibly do without. Then, by an after
thought, we filled OR watcr-botvles,
though at the time I was rather against
doing so because of the extra weight
But Indaba-zimbi ovor-uled me in the
matter, fortunately for all three of US.
I settled to look after Tota for the first
march, and gave the elephant gun to
Indaba-zimbi AZ length all was ready
and we set out on foot. BY the help of
occasional lifts over rough places, Tota
managed to walk up tho slope on the
hillside where I had shot the Petite
buck. At length We reached it, and,
looking at the country beyond. gave
an exclamation of dismay. To say
that it was desert would be saying too
much; it was moro like the Barroo in
the Cape-a vast sandy waste. studded
here and there with low shrubs and
scattered rocks. But it was a great eX-
panse of desolate land, stretching as far
as the eye could reach, and bordered far
away by a line Of purple hills, in the
center OF which great solitary peak
scared high into the air.
(Tc be COntiuUcd.)