ANECDOTES OF LIONS. 177 



banks of the Limpopo river, when a water-buck 

 (a rare animal) started in front of us. I dis- 

 mounted, and was following it through a jungle, 

 when three buffaloes got up, and, after going a 

 little distance, stood still, and the nearest bull 

 turned round and looked at me. A ball from a 

 two-ouncer crashed into his shoulder, and they 

 all three made off. I followed as soon as I had 

 re-loaded, and when we were in sight of the 

 wounded buffalo, and gaining on him, three lions 

 leapt on the unfortunate brute. He bellowed 

 most lustily as he kept up a kind of running 

 fight ; but he was, of course, soon overpowered 

 and pulled down. We had a fine view of the 

 struggle, and saw the lions on their hind-legs 

 tearing away with teeth and claws in most 

 ferocious style. We crept up within thirty 

 yards, and, kneeling down, blazed away at the 

 lions. My rifle was a single-barrel, and I had 

 no spare gun. One lion fell dead almost on the 

 buffalo ; he had merely time to turn towards us, 

 seize a bush with his teeth, and drop dead with 

 the stick in his jaws. The second made off im- 

 mediately ; and the third, raising his head, coolly 

 looked round for a moment, then went on tearing 

 and biting at the carcass as hard as ever. We 



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