Feline and Canine Animals, 5 



" Impetus est fulvis, et vasta leonibus ira ! " 



" Vast is their fury and as vast their power." — Eusden's Trans. 

 This irritated the mighty lord of the woods, and he rushed 

 towards him, breaking through the bushes (to use the cap- 

 tain's own words) " in most magnificent style." Captain 

 Woodhouse now found himself placed in an awkward situ- 

 ation. He was aware that if he retraced his steps, in order to 

 put himself in a better position for attack, he would just get 

 to the point from which the lieutenant had fired, and to which 

 the lion was making : wherefore, he instantly resolved to stand 

 still, in the hopes that the lion would pass by, at a distance of 

 four yards or so, without perceiving him, as the intervening 

 cover was thick and strong. In this, however, he was most 

 unfortunately deceived; for the enraged lion saw him in 

 passing, and flew at him with a dreadful roar. In an instant, 

 as though it had been done by a stroke of lightning, the rifle 

 was broken and thrown out of the captain's hand, his left arm, 

 at the same moment, being seized by the claws, and his right 

 by the teeth, of his desperate antagonist. While these two 

 brave and sturdy combatants, " whose courage none could 

 stain," were yet standing in mortal conflict. Lieutenant Dela- 

 main ran up, and discharged his piece full at the lion. This 

 caused the lion and the captain to come to the ground toge- 

 ther, while Lieutenant Delamain hastened out of the jungle to 

 reload his gun. The lion now began to craunch the captain's 

 arm ; but as the brave fellow, notwithstanding the pain which 

 this horrid process caused, had the cool determined resolution 

 to lie still, the lordly savage let the arm drop out of his 

 mouth, and quietly placed himself in a couching position, 

 with both his paws upon the thigh of his fallen foe. While 

 things were in this untoward situation, the captain, unthink- 

 ingly, raised his hand to support his head, which had got 

 placed ill at ease in the fall. No sooner, however, had he 

 moved it, than the lion seized the lacerated arm a second 

 time; craunched it, as before, and fractured the bone still 

 higher up. This additional memento mori from the lion was 

 not lost upon Captain Woodhouse ; it immediately put him in 

 mind that he had committed an act of imprudence in stirring. 

 The motionless state in which he persevered after this broad 

 hint showed that he had learned to profit by the painful 

 lesson. 



He now lay, bleeding and disabled, under the foot of a 

 mighty and an irritated enemy. Death was close upon him, 

 armed with every terror calculated to appal the heart of a 



B 3 



