78 LION-HUNTING [ch. iii 



bearers, who were stanch, but who showed a tendency 

 to walk a Uttle ahead of nie on each side, instead of a 

 httle behind. I walked toward her because I could not 

 kneel to shoot in grass so tall ; and when shooting off- 

 hand I hke to be fairly close, so as to be sure that my 

 bullets go in the right place. At sixty yards I could 

 make her out clearly, snarling at me as she faced me, 

 and I shot her full in the chest. She at once performed 

 a series of extraordinary antics, tumbling about on her 

 head, just as if she were throwing somersaults, first to 

 one side and then to the other. I fired again, but 

 managed to shoot between the somersaults, so to speak, 

 and missed her. The shot seemed to bring her to 

 herself, and away she tore ; but, instead of charging us, 

 she charged the line of beaters. She was dying fast, 

 however, and in her weakness failed to catch anyone, 

 and she sank down into the long grass. Hill and 1 

 advanced to look her up, our rifies at full cock, and 

 the gun-bearers close behind. It is ticklish work to 

 follow a wounded hon in tall grass, and we walked 

 carefully, every sense on the alert. We passed Heller, 

 who had been with the beaters. He spoke to us with 

 an amused smile. His only weapon was a pair of field- 

 glasses, but he always took things as they came with 

 entire coolness, and to be close to a wounded honess 

 when she charged merely interested him. A beater 

 came running up and pointed toward where he had 

 seen her, and we walked toward the place. At thirty 

 yards distance Hill pointed, and, eagerly peering, I 

 made out the form of the lioness showing indistinctly 

 through the grass. She was half crouching, half sitting, 

 her head bent down, but she still had strength to do 

 mischief. She saw us, but before she could turn I sent 

 a bullet through her shoulders. Down she went, and 



