116 LION HUNT. 



lively free from bushes, up suddenly sprung the beast within 

 a few paces of me. It was a black-maned lion, and one of 

 the largest I ever remember to have encountered in Africa. 

 But his movements were so rapid, so silent and smooth with- 

 al, that it was not until he had partially entered the thick 

 cover (at which time he might have been about thirty paces 

 distant) that I could fire. On receiving the ball, he wheeled 

 short about, and with a terrific roar bounded toward me. 

 When within a few paces, he couched, as if about to spring, 

 having his head imbedded, so to say, between his fore-paws. 



Drawing a large hunting-knife and slipping it over the 

 wrist of my right hand, I dropped on one knee, and, thus pre- 

 pared, awaited his onset. It was an awful moment of sus- 

 pense, and my situation was critical in the extreme. Stillj 

 my presence of mind never for a moment forsook me — in- 

 deed, I felt that nothing but the most perfect coolness and 

 absolute self-command would be of any avail. 



I would now have become the assailant ; but, as — owing 

 to the intervening bushes, and clouds of dust raised by the 

 lion's lashing his tail against the ground — I was unable to 

 see his head, while to aim at any other part would have been 

 madness, I refrained from firing. While intently watching 

 his every motion, he suddenly bounded toward me ; but, 

 whether it was owing to his not perceiving me, partially con- 

 cealed as I was in the long grass, or to my instinctively 

 throwing my body on one side, or to his miscalculating the 

 distance, in making his last spring he went clear over me, 

 and alighted on the ground three or four paces beyond. In- 

 stantly, and without rising, I wheeled round on my knee and 

 discharged my second barrel ; and as his broadside was then 

 toward me, lodged a ball in his shoulder, which it completely 

 smashed. On receiving my second fire, he made another 

 and more determined rush at me, but, owing to his disabled 

 state, I happily avoided him. It was, however, only by a 

 hair's breadth, for he passed me within arm's length. He 



