HUNTING THE LION ON HORSEBACK. 73 



to fly Consequently he slackens his pace, and at length only 

 slides slowly off, step by step, all the while eying his pursuers 

 askant ; and finally makes a fall stop, and turning round upon 

 them, and at the same time giving himself a shake, roars with a 

 short and sharp tone, to show his indignation, being ready to seize 

 on them, and tear them in pieces. 



" This is the time for the hunters to be on the spot, or to get 

 within a certain distance of him, yet so as to keep a proper dis- 

 tance from each other ; and he that is nearest, or is most advan- 

 tageously posted, and has the best mark of his heart and lungs, 

 must be the first to jump off his horse, and, securing the bridle by 

 putting it round his arm, discharge his piece ; then in an instant 

 recovering his seat, must ride obliquely athwart his companions ; 

 and giving his horse the reins, must trust entirely to the speed 

 and fear of the latter, to convey him out of the reach of the wild 

 Deast, in case he has only wounded him, or has missed him. In 

 either of these cases, a fair opportunity presents for some of the 

 other hunters to jump off their horses directly, as they may then 

 take their aim and discharge their pieces with greater coolness 

 and certainty. Should this shot likewise miss (which, however, 

 seldom happens), the third sportsman rides after the lion, which 

 at that instant is in pursuit of the first OT the second, and, spring- 

 ing off his horse, fires his piece, as soon as he has got within a 

 proper distance, and finds a sufficiently convenient part of the 

 animal present itself, especially obliquely from behind. If now 

 the lion turns upon him too, the other hunters turn again, to come 

 to his rescue with the charge which they loaded on horseback, 

 while they were flying from the wild beast. 



11 No instance has ever been known of any misfortune happen- 

 ing to the hunters in chasing the lion on horseback. The African 

 colonists, who have been born in, or have haf 1 the courage to 

 remove into the more remote parts of Africa, which are exposed to 

 the ravages of wild beasts, are sometimes good marksmen, and are 

 far from wanting courage." 



