XVIII LION WOUNDED 309 



he came trotting round towards where I sat on the 

 side of the ant-heap, turning first to one side then 

 to the other, and evidently searching for what had 

 hurt him, and I am sure that had he made me out 

 he would have charged instantly. However, I was 

 dressed only in an old felt hat, a cotton shirt, and 

 a pair of shoes, and my scanty garments and bare, 

 sunburnt limbs were all so weather-stained, and 

 harmonised so well with the neutral tints of my 

 immediate surroundings, that he never saw me. 



I had thrown the empty cartridge out of my 

 rifle before the lion turned, but had no time to 

 reload before he commenced to trot towards me, 

 for, knowing that the very slightest movement on 

 my part would attract his attention, I sat perfectly 

 still, feeling sure that in case of a charge I should 

 have ample time to slip the cartridge, which I held 

 ready in my hand, into the breech of my rifle before 

 he got to me. However, he never discovered me, 

 though he approached to within a hundred yards 

 of the ant-heap on the side of which I was sitting. 

 He then stopped, and after first looking towards 

 me, turned round and once more stood facing 

 exactly away from me. 



This was my chance, so hastily loading and put- 

 ting down the 200- yards' leaf sight, I again fired 

 at him, and again heard my bullet strike. With a 

 loud growl he sprang forwards, and then went off at 

 a gallop. He turned almost immediately and, run- 

 ning almost broadside to me, made for a large ant- 

 heap with some bushes growing at the top of it. 

 Before he reached it I fired again and knocked him 

 down, but after having lain still for a few moments 

 he got up and half-ran, half-dragged himself to the 

 ant-heap and disappeared behind the bush on its 

 summit. 



I now walked round and reconnoitred the ant- 

 heap behind which the lion had disappeared, and 



