FATAL ENCOUNTER WITH LIONS 



beast was almost upon him when one of the 

 porters in the edge of the brush jumped from 

 cover directly in the path of the charging brute. 



"The poor fellow discovered his mistake too 

 late, for, as he turned to run back, the lioness 

 reared, and, burying its teeth in the man's 

 shoulder, bore him to the earth. The man and 

 the cat tumbled about on the ground while 

 Chapman worked frantically to reload his rifle. 



"At that moment the Masai spearman 

 bounded up to the struggling pair. Crouching 

 behind his rhinoceros-hide shield, he poised his 

 spear in the air and drove the steel shaft into 

 the lion's body. Growling savagely, the lion 

 dropped its victim and turned upon the Masai. 

 Chapman had reloaded by this time, and he 

 managed to shoot the animal through the 

 shoulder before it had a chance to maul the 

 guide. 



"Chapman's narrow escape convinced him 

 that he had better not attack any more lions 

 with his single-shot rifle, so, after attending to 

 his wounded porter, he started back to camp. 

 He had gone only a short distance when he 

 met a party of Masai warriors who had been 

 attracted by the shooting. They were heavily 



