The Lion 121 



take a much better aim with the second barrel than the 

 last two hunters had, and, like them, missed, turning as I 

 did so, and running away for bare life. I was surprised to 

 see how the men behind had diminished in numbers, but 

 still there remained upwards of a hundred, who so far 

 showed no sign of flinching, and I bolted in behind them 

 and began to reload, altering my position when once the 

 powder was down, so that I could see what was going on. 



" The lion had charged up to within ten yards of them, 

 and then, no doubt, awed, by their steadiness, he had 

 pulled up, and was now walking slowly up and down like an 

 officer in command, growling and showing his teeth, and 

 looking a very noble animal with his heavy yellow mane 

 floating around him. Very likely he would have remained 

 like this until we had reloaded had noi a young fellow in 

 the first rank flung his assagai, with an insulting expres- 

 sion, at him ; but as the spear-head entered he made two 

 bounds forward, singling out the unfortunate man, who, 

 however, met him pluckily, presenting him with his great 

 six-foot shield to tear at, while he stuck him in the chest 

 with his long and keen double-edged stabbing spear. As 

 he did so there was a sudden jerk, as of a steel trap clos- 

 ing along the line, through which I was in time to catch 

 sight of two more assagais being simultaneously plunged 

 into the beast. All those who had run away hurried up, 

 and a dense mass was formed, pushing and struggling to 

 get into the centre, making the scene somewhat resemble 

 a native foot-ball match I had once seen in the colonies. 

 Such a contest could not possibly be continued long. 

 Dozens of spears had been buried in the brute's body the 



