THE SECOND LIONESS. 201 



her out, lying very flat, her head between her paws. 

 Even then she was shadowy and unreal, and, as 

 I have said, the cover did not look thick enough 

 to conceal a good- sized dog. 



As though she realized she had been sighted, 

 she at this moment leapt to her feet. Instantly 

 I put a "405 bullet into her shoulder. Any other 

 lion I ever saw or heard of would in such cir- 

 cumstances and at such a distance immediately 

 have charged home. She turned tail and ran 

 away. I missed her as she ran, then knocked 

 her down with a third shot. She got up again, 

 but was immediately hit by Captain D.'s '350 

 Magnum and brought to a halt. The dogs, seeing 

 her turn tail and hearing our shots, had scrambled 

 madly after her. We dared not shoot again for 

 fear of hitting one of them, so we dashed rapidly 

 into the grass and out the other side. Before we 

 could get to her, she had sent Ruby flying through 

 the air, and had then fallen over dead. Ruby 

 got off lucky with only a deep gash the length 

 of her leg. 



This was the only instance I experienced of a 

 wounded lion showing the white feather. She 

 was, however, only about three-quarters grown, 

 and was suffering from diarrhoea. 



7a 



