XIX TWO LIONESSES SHOT 415 



after the others. The bush now commenced to get 

 thick, and the lionesses separated, so I followed the 

 larger. She soon turned round in a patch of bush 

 and faced me, growling savagely and swishing her 

 tail. I was within fifty yards, so, pulling in, jumped 

 off at once. As I raised my rifle, she turned and 

 stood directly facing me, with her head held low. 

 At the same time I saw her tail raised straight in the 

 air like a bar of steel. She was standing amongst 

 some grass and weeds that grew as high as her back, 

 which made it difficult to see her ; but I knew there 

 was not a moment to lose, and fired for her mouth. 

 Without a growl, she at once sank to the ground. 

 I now walked up to her, and found she had fallen all 

 of a heap, stone-dead, the bullet having struck her 

 full in the face, just below the eye, and passing right 

 through her skull and all down her neck, lodged under 

 the skin behind her shoulder. 



I now rode back to the one I had first wounded, 

 which I found still lying in the little patch of bush 

 where I had left her. On seeing me approach, she 

 stood up, standing broadside to me, with her head 

 turned towards me, snarling and growling, when I 

 gave her a shot right through the lungs, which settled 

 her. These were both old lionesses, and must have 

 had cubs, as they were in milk. Their skins only 

 measured 8 feet 10 inches each when pegged out, and 

 though both were in perfect hair, they differed much 

 in colour. 



When my two young Makalakas came up, we 

 skinned the one lioness, but only took the entrails 

 out of the other, and then, splitting it open, packed 

 it entire on to the horse, together with the skin of the 

 other. I then walked back to the waggons, leading 

 Bob by the bridle. 



