[*]Ihaveknownalioncarryatwo—year—oldoxoverastonewallfourfeethighinthisfashion，andamileawayintothebushbeyond。
Hewassubsequentlypoisonedbystrychnineputintothecarcassoftheox，andIstillhavehisclaws。——Editor。
\"Sowithscaredandheavyheartswecreptbacktotheskerm，andsatdowntowaitforthedawn，whichnowcouldnotbemuchmorethananhouroff。Itwasabsolutelyuselesstotryeventodisentangletheoxentillthen，soallthatwasleftforustodowastositandwonderhowitcametopassthattheoneshouldbetakenandtheotherleft，andtohopeagainsthopethatourpoorservantmighthavebeenmercifullydeliveredfromthelion’sjaws。
\"Atlengththefaintdawncamestealinglikeaghostupthelongslopeofbush，andglintedonthetangledoxen’shorns，andwithwhiteandfrightenedfaceswegotupandsettothetaskofdisentanglingtheoxen，tillsuchtimeasthereshouldbelightenoughtoenableustofollowthetrailofthelionesswhichhadgoneoffwithJim—Jim。Andhereafreshtroubleawaitedus，forwhenatlastwithinfinitedifficultywehaddisentangledthegreathelplessbrutes，itwasonlytofindthatoneofthebestofthemwasverysick。Therewasnomistakeaboutthewayhestoodwithhislegsslightlyapartandhisheadhangingdown。Hehadgottheredwater，Iwassureofit。OfallthedifficultiesconnectedwithlifeandtravellinginSouthAfricathoseconnectedwithoxenareperhapstheworst。Theoxisthemostexasperatinganimalintheworld，anegroexcepted。Hehasabsolutelynoconstitution，andneverneglectsanopportunityoffallingsickofsomemysteriousdisease。Hewillgetthinupontheslightestprovocation，andfrommeremaliciousnessdieof’poverty’；whereasitishischiefdelighttoturnroundandrefusetopullwheneverhefindshimselfwellinthecentreofariver，orthewaggon—wheelnicelyfastinamudhole。Drivehimafewmilesoverroughroadsandyouwillfindthatheisfootsore；turnhimloosetofeedandyouwilldiscoverthathehasrunaway，orifhehasnotrunawayhehasofmaliceaforethoughteaten’tulip’andpoisonedhimself。Thereisalwayssomethingwithhim。Theoxisabrute。Itwasofapiecewithhisaccustomedbehaviourfortheoneinquestiontobreakout——onpurposeprobably——withredwaterjustwhenalionhadwalkedoffwithhisherd。ItwasexactlywhatIshouldhaveexpected，andIwasthereforeneitherdisappointednorsurprised。
\"Well，itwasnousecryingasIshouldalmosthavelikedtodo，becauseifthisoxhadredwateritwasprobablethattherestofthemhadittoo，althoughtheyhadbeensoldtomeas’salted，’thatis，proofagainstsuchdiseasesasredwaterandlungsick。OnegetshardenedtothissortofthinginSouthAfricaincourseoftime，forIsupposeinnoothercountryintheworldisthewasteofanimallifesogreat。