Coomassie and Magdala; The Story of Two British Compaigns in Africa (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter iii an adventurous joubney by night--an abyssinian abeopagus--native oratoby There is nothing to interest a man on a night travel. On this our first journey in Abyssinia Proper, and by night too, our thoughts and fancies were anything but agreeable. It was scarcely dark, and we had not been on the road an hour, before we perceived ourselves followed by troops of animals, bounding upright, giving vent to angry snarls, and swiftly flitting past. Shortly, a chorus of unearthly yells broke the solemn stillness of the night, which was caught up and echoed eagerly all around us. Another deep silence prevailed, to be in a short time, however, broken by a savage roar, uttered evidently in our immediate neighbourhood. It gave our party an involuntary start. I had heard frequently the lion, the tiger, and the panther; but I was positive that this one we heard was neither, and, thinking so great a traveller as the Captain should know, I propounded the question to him. The Captain, I remarked, had been riding ahead previous to the sharp cries that preceded the roar, like a man bound to clear the way for the troop behind, couching a large boar-spear in true knightly style; but he had gradually slackened his pace afterwards, until he was riding alongside with me. 'What animal is that, Captain?' As I asked the question my own fugitive presence of mind returned instantly, as if I felt emboldened by my own voice. 'It's a hysena, ' answered that gentleman. 'Is it a dangerous animal?' 'Very, ' was his reply. 'Will it attack us 1' 'No, unless we attack it.' 'But suppose you try his mettle with your spear?' 'No, thank you, ' replied he loftily; 'he is not worthy of my steel.