THE LION. J01 



shoot him fairly in the forehead, or some other mor- 

 tal part. If they continue to wound him ineffectual- 

 ly, till he waxes furious and desperate, or if the 

 horses, startled by his terrific roar, grow frantic with 

 terror, and burst loose, the business becomes rather 

 serious, and may end in mischief, especially if all the 

 party are not men of courage, coolness, and experi- 

 ence. The Frontier boors are, however, generally 

 such excellent marksmen, and withal so cool and de- 

 liberate, that they seldom fail to shoot him dead as 

 soon as they get within a fair distance. 



" In the present instance, we did not manage mat- 

 ters quite so scientifically. The Bastaards, after re- 

 counting to us all these and other sage laws of lion- 

 hunting, were themselves the first to depart from 

 them. Finding that with the few indifferent hounds 

 we had made little impression on the enemy, they 

 divided themselves into two or three parties, and rode 

 round the jungle, firing into the spot where the dogs 

 were barking round him, but without effect. At 

 length, after some hours spent in thus beating about 

 the bush, the Scottish blood of some of my country- 

 men began to get impatient, and three of them an- 

 nounced their determination to break in and beard 

 the lion in his den, provided three of the Bastaards 

 (who were superior marksmen) would support them, 

 and follow up their fire, should the enemy venture 

 to give battle. Accordingly, in they went (in spite 

 of the warnings of some more prudent men), to with- 

 in fifteen or twenty paces of the spot where the ani- 



