286 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



side of the ant-heap, and gallop off at right angles 

 to the direction from which the lioness had charged, 

 was a manoeuvre which I executed with great despatch. 

 I think she only came as far as the ant-heap, and 

 then retreated into the grass again with her cubs, for 

 though I galloped but a very short distance, and 

 came round to the other side immediately, I did not 

 catch sight of her. Just at this moment Collison 

 came up with a lot of the Kafirs. 



It was now, however, so dusk that it was useless 

 looking further for the lioness in the long yellow 

 grass, and so she escaped. Had there been another 

 hour of daylight, the chances would have been very 

 greatly in favour of my killing her. As it was, 

 however, I was well pleased, for I had bagged three 

 full-grown lions with four shots. The rifle I used 

 was a single 450 Express by George Gibbs of 

 Bristol. The cartridges were loaded with 3^ drams 

 of powder, and hollow bullets. As it was too late 

 to skin all the lions, I left the two females where 

 they were, and then went and camped alongside of 

 the big male. Just before daylight a hyaena came 

 and ate the meat off the ribs and hind-quarters of 

 one of the lionesses, quite destroying the skin. The 

 other was untouched. They were both very fine and 

 large, and in splendid condition. 



The meat of the lion is very palatable, being white 

 like veal, and quite free from any smell or taste. 

 In fact, when cooked, no one who did not know 

 could possibly guess from anything in its appearance 

 or flavour that it was the flesh of a very indiscriminate- 

 feeding carnivorous animal. Jameson, Collison, and 

 myself, having one day shot two lions, and having 

 no other meat, cooked a large pot of it, and ate it 

 with great relish. 



