THE LION. 51 



country, they would have speared the lions in their attempt 

 to get out. Seeing that we could not get them to kill one 

 of the lions, we bent our footsteps towards the village; in 

 going round the end of the hill, however, I saw one of the 

 beasts sitting on a piece of rock, as before, but this time he 

 had a little bush in front. Being about thirty yards off, I 

 took a good aim at his body through the bush, and fired 

 both barrels into in. The men then called out : ' He is shot ! 

 He is shot!' Others cried: 'He has been shot by another 

 man, too ; let us go to him.' I did not see anyone else shoot 

 at him, but I saw the lion's tail erected in anger behind the 

 bush, and turning to the people, said : 'Stop a little till I load 

 again.' When in the act of ramming down the bullets I heard 

 a shout. Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just 

 in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height. 

 He caught my shoulder as he sprang and we both came 

 to the ground below together. Growling horribly, close to my 

 ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock 

 produced a stupor, similar to that which seems to be felt by 

 a mouse after the first shake of a cat. It caused a sort of 

 dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain or feeling 

 of terror, though quite conscious of all that was happening. 

 It was like what patients partially under the influence 

 of chloroform describe, who see all the operation but feel 

 not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of 

 any mental process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed 

 no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This 

 peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by 

 the carnivora; and, if so, is a merciful provision by our 

 benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning 

 round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw 

 on the back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe, 

 who was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen 

 yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels. 

 The lion immediately left me and attacking Mebalwe bit his 



