THE LION 201 



ground; when I saw the lion prepare to charge and charge all at 

 once. I had just got my rifle to my shoulder and had cried to 

 Hill "it is too far, it is over 300 yards" when Hill said "shoot! 

 shoot! 200 yards" and he fired. His bullet faUing short by about 

 10 feet, he as a last desperate chance took two hurried snap 

 shots. Realising the position, conscious that Howard Pease 

 was either on his feet or pony close by, I leapt to my horse, and 

 galloped over roughish ground in the hollow dividing me from 

 Grey with H. Pease, my eyes fixed on the horrible scene in front 

 of me. The 300 yards seemed like half a mile and the lion lifted 

 his head when we got within 50 yards and ceased mauling Grey. 

 At about 20 yards or 25 yards we left our ponies and hardly got 

 to the ground and ran in when Hill who had not stopped to re- 

 mount but ran with great speed was there too. The rest of 

 the story is not what I seek to dwell on — Hill gave the lion the 

 knock out shot with his .404 before it jammed. I fired 3 shots. 

 The position was rendered worse by the other lion preparing to 

 charge and grunting less than 100 yards above. 

 The questions that need deciding are these: 



1. Did Grey hit the lion at all, or once or twice — 



To me it looked as if he missed both times but I am sure the 

 lion had a very bloody mouth when he raised his head when I 

 galloped up, and I hold the view that Grey missed the first shot 

 and hit the lion in the mouth the second. I think Grey would 

 have been dead but for that injury. I understand that Clifford 

 Hill holds the opinion that Grey missed both shots and that the 

 lion's bloody mouth or at least his broken jaw was done by one 

 of my shots. I am sure this was not done by me or any one but 

 Grey. 



2. Did Grey dismount before the lion charged.'' or when he had 

 started. I should have said (but am not clear about it) Grey 

 only dismounted when the lion's charge had begun. C. Hill is 

 positive that Grey dismounted as soon as the rear lion stopped. 



3. Could he have got away on his pony when the lion charged ? 

 I say emphatically no he could not even have turned his pony 



in the time. I do not know what else he could have done that 

 would have been better, if he was certain of himself and confident 

 of his power to stop a lion charge, as he said he was. Otherwise 



