NATURAL HISTORY. /I 



"* When the gaunt lioness, with hunger bold, 

 Springs from the mountains tow'rd the guarded fold ; 

 Through breaking woods her rustling course they hear; 

 Loud and more loud the clamours strike the ear ! " POPK. 



^ephant, clung on his trunk with a tremendous roar, and wounded him just above 

 the eye. While he was in the act of doing this the two lieutenants fired at him, but 

 without success. The elephant now shook him off ; but the fierce and sudden 

 attack on the part of the lion seemed to have thrown him into the greatest con- 

 sternation, and much exertion was used before his riders succeeded in urging him 

 on again in quest of the lion. At last he became somewhat more tractable ; but as 

 he was advancing through the jungle all of a sudden the lion, which had lain con- 

 cealed in the high grass, made at him with redoubled fury. The officers now lost 

 all hopes of keeping their elephant in order. He turned round abruptly and was 

 going away quite ungovernable, when the lion again sprang at him, seized on his 

 hinder parts with his teeth, and hung on them until the affrighted animal managed 

 to shake him off by repeated kicking. The lion then retreated further into the- 

 thicket. The officers now determined upon dismounting, and Captain Woodhouse 

 took the desperate resolution of proceeding on foot in quest of the lion. After some 

 difficulty he succeeded in tracing the print of the animal's feet, and resolved to 

 follow the track at all hazards. In the meantime Lieutenant Delamain, who stood 

 outside the jungle, caught sight of the lion and fired at him. This irritated the 

 beast and caused him to rush towards his assailant ; in doing so he must inevitably 

 cross the path where Captain Woodhouse was. The Captain saw this and resolved 

 to stand still, hoping that the lion would pass by without perceiving him ; in this, 

 however, he was undeceived, for the enraged animal saw him in passing, and flew 

 at him with a dreadful roar. In an instant the Captain's rifle was broken and 

 thrown out of his hand, his left arm at the same moment being seized by the claws, 

 and his right by the teeth of his desperate antagonist. While this conflict wa 

 going on Lieutenant Delamain ran u p and discharged his piece at the lion. This 

 caused the combatants to come to the ground together, while Lieutenant Uelamain 

 hastened out of the jungle to reload his gun. The lion now began to worry the 

 Captain's arm ; who, notwithstandir $ the pain he suffered, had the presence of mind 

 to lie still ; the lion thereupon let t >e arm drop out of his mouth and quietly placed 

 himself in a crouching position, with both his paws upon the thigh of his fallen foe. 

 No sooner, however, had he inoce-' ,t. than the lion seized the lacerated arm a 

 second time, crushed it as before, and fractured 'he bone still higher up. This 

 reminded the Captain that he had committed an act of imprudence on stirring which 

 he determined to profit by. He now lay bleeding and disabled under the foot of a 

 mighty and irritated enemy ; and with the terrors of death before his very eyes. 

 At this moment the two lieutenants were hastening to his assistance, and he heard 

 the welcome sound of feet approaching ; but, unfortunately, they were in a wrong 

 direction, as the lion was betwixt them and him. Aware that if his friends fired the 

 balls would hit him, after they had passed through the lion's V^", Captain Wood- 

 house quietly pronounced in a low and subdued tone, " To the other side ! to the 

 other side !" Hearing the voice they looked in the direction from whence it pro- 

 ceeded, and to their horror saw their brave companion in his utmost need. Having 

 made a circuit they cautiously came up on the other side, and Lieutenant Delamain, 

 from a distance of about a dozen yards, fired at the lion over the person of his pros- 

 trate friend. The lion merely quivered , his head dropped upon the ground, and in 

 an instant he lay dead on his side close to his intended victim. 



