118 LION HUNT SHOOTING ON SUNDAY. 



afterward scrambled into the thick cover beyond, where, as 

 night was then approaching, I did not deem it prudent to 

 pursue him. 



At an early hour on the next morning, however, we fol- 

 lowed his "spoor," and soon came to the spot where he had 

 passed the night. The sand here was one patch of blood, 

 and the bushes immediately about were broken, and beaten 

 down by his weight as he had staggered to and fro in his 

 effort to get on his legs again. Strange to say, however, we 

 here lost all clew to the beast. A large troop of lions, that 

 had been feasting on a giraffe in the early morning, had 

 obliterated his tracks, and it was not until some days after- 

 ward, and when the carcass was in a state of decomposition, 

 that his death was ascertained. He breathed his last very 

 near to where we were " at fault ;" but, in prosecuting the 

 search, we had unfortunately taken exactly the opposite di- 

 rection. 



On our homeward path from the pursuit of the lion we 

 fell in with a herd of zebras, and, while discharging my gun 

 at them, I accidentally pulled both triggers at once. The 

 piece being very light, and loaded with double charges, the 

 barrel flew out of the stock, the cocks burying themselves 

 deep in the flesh on either side of my nose, just under the 

 eyes, and left scars visible to this day. Mr. Rath, on seeing 

 me in this plight, was good enough to say, by way of consola- 

 tion, that it was undoubtedly a just punishment of Heaven 

 in consequence of my having carried a gun on a Sunday! 



