CHAP. V. LIONS. 231 



looking at the magnificent constellations of the southern 

 hemisphere, among which the Southern Cross stood out 

 pre-eminent in all its beauty, when my eye fell upon my 

 favourite gun, which had been placed against the fence 

 within reach of my hand, and I noticed that the boy 

 whose duty it was to do so had omitted to oil it, and to 

 wrap something round the nipples to keep off the dew — 

 always very heavy during this season of the year. Taking 

 it up, I found the bandolier in which he kept his gear, 

 and carefully cleaned and oiled it, with that affection that 

 so old and trusty a companion deserved. I was still in the 

 act of hunting for a piece of rag to tie round the nipples 

 before returning it to its former position, and had moved 

 down towards the entrance to secure the assistance of 

 what Ught the now smouldering fires afforded, and had thus 

 brought the fig-tree and those sheltered beneath it into 

 full view, when the terrified yelp of a dog struck my ear, 

 and, raising my eyes, I saw a tawny yellow mass bound 

 into the opposite camp, and, uttering a muffled roar like 

 distant thunder, seize the nearest human being and carry 

 him off shrieking in the direction it had come from. 



It had all occurred in far less time than I take to 

 describe it, and I had had neither time nor presence of 

 mind sufficient to do anything ; but now, as it passed the 

 outermost fire on its way towards the reeds, I raised the 

 gun, covered the shoulder, and fired, causing it to drop 

 the man, and, with a tremendous roar that seemed to 

 shake the ground, to spring upwards — how many feet I 

 should not like to say, for fear of correction from the stay- 

 at-home naturalists, — and as it did so I put the second 

 barrel in. It fell to the ground and struggled there, still 



