CHAP. V. LIONS. 263 



ran parallel to the stream, taking no notice of the people, 

 many of whom shrunk back as they saw him nearing their 

 part of the line. I began to cover him when he was still 

 two hundred yards off, and I think I kept the gun up too 

 long, for when I fired at half that distance I missed clean. 

 I made a better shot with my next barrel, rather too far 

 forward, but just catching the point of the fore-shoulder, 

 and of course putting that useful limb hors de combat. 

 The brute appeared to be as cowardly by daylight as he 

 was daring in the dark, for instead of charging he bolted 

 under a small tree and lay down growling, and in ten 

 minutes every one who was coming — and three-fourths of 

 the men did so — had made their appearance, and were 

 formed in a compact body behind me. He had not waited 

 all this time very patiently ; but when I fancied I saw 

 symptoms of his having a desire to slink away out of the 

 reach of the fast-assembling relatives of his victims, I had 

 all the dogs set at him, and though only a few would go, 

 and they would not have even hampered liis escape, yet 

 they distracted his attention for the time. 



Our plan was a very simple one. The five hunters and 

 myself were to walk up as close as we dared, and fire in 

 volleys of three, and if we did not kill, and he charged, we 

 were to bolt behind the natives for shelter. We walked 

 up within thirty yards, and I and two hunters stood up 

 while three knelt in front of us and fired, the brute 

 growling furiously the while, but not attempting to move. 

 The moment, however, the balls struck him — and with a 

 lion crouched flat as he was, it was not to be expected 

 that they would kill him unless one hit the centre of 

 the forehead — he came straight at us, roaring horribly. 



