tied, to rush off madly into the wilderness. Lions know of this habit
on the part of oxen, which are, I do believe, the most foolish animals
under the sun, a sheep being a very Solomon compared to them; and it
is by no means uncommon for a lion to get in such a position that a
herd or span of oxen may wind him, skrek, break their reims, and rush
off into the bush. Of course, once there, they are helpless in the
dark; and then the lion chooses the one that he loves best and eats
him at his leisure.

"Well, round and round went our six poor oxen, nearly trampling us to
death in their mad rush; indeed, had we not hastily tumbled out of the
way, we should have been trodden to death, or at the least seriously
injured. As it was, Harry was run over, and poor Jim-Jim being caught
by the trektow somewhere beneath the arm, was hurled right across the
skerm, landing by my side only some paces off.

"Snap went the disselboom of the cart beneath the transverse strain
put upon it. Had it not broken the cart would have overset; as it was,
in another minute, oxen, cart, trektow, reims, broken disselboom, and
everything were soon tied in one vast heaving, plunging, bellowing,
and seemingly inextricable knot.

"For a moment or two this state of affairs took my attention off from
the lion that had caused it, but whilst I was wondering what on earth
was to be done next, and how we should manage if the cattle broke
loose into the bush and were lost--for cattle frightened in this
manner will so straight away like mad things--my thoughts were
suddenly recalled to the lion in a very painful fashion.

"For at that moment I perceived by the light of the fire a kind of