“Now that we have you safe here, though I am unwilling to leave you, I must go back and fetch the antelope, for we cannot do without food,” he said.
Telling Jan to collect materials for building a hut, as it was evident that I should be unable to move for some time, and also charging him to keep an eye on me, he started off.
I felt a great deal of pain, but I retained my senses, and tried to divert my thoughts by watching Jan, who was busily employed in cutting long sticks and branches for the hut.
It seemed to me that my uncle had been gone for more than an hour, and I began to fear that some accident might have happened to him. Where there was one lion it was probable that there were others, and they might revenge themselves on the slayer of their relative.
Jan, however, kept working away as if satisfied that all was right, now and then taking a look at me, and throwing a few sticks on the fire to get it to burn brightly. He then began to prepare for roasting the expected venison by placing some uprights, with cross pieces to serve as spits, close to the fire.
“Hurrah! here am de Cap’n!” he at length shouted, such being the title he usually bestowed on my uncle. “He bring springbok, an’ someting else too.”
I felt greatly relieved when I saw my uncle throw down his heavy load, consisting not only of the antelope which I had shot, but of the lion’s skin.
“I brought this,” he said, “to make a bed for you. You want it, though it is not fit at present to serve the purpose.”
I thanked him for his offer, but declared that I would rather just then be left where I was, as any movement pained me.
Jan lost no time in cutting off some pieces of venison, and placing them to roast. My uncle also put on a pot with a small portion to make some soup, which he said would suit me better than the roast. Hungry as I was, though I tried to eat some of the latter as soon as Jan declared it sufficiently done, I could not manage to get it down. My thirst became