190 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



a few paces behind, came and placed himself on a levt. with an' 

 about four or five paces from the first. I then saw for the first 

 time that they were full-grown lionesses. I took aim at the first, 

 and she came rolling and roaring down to the foot of "the tree. 

 The Arab was scarcely awakened when a second ball stretched 

 the animal dead upon the spot. The first bullet went in at tha 

 muzzle and came out at the tail; the second had gone through 

 the heart. After making sure that my men were all right, I 

 looked out for the second lioness. She was standing up within 

 fifteen paces, looking at what was going on around her. I took 

 my gun and leveled it at her. She squatted down. When I 

 fired she fell down roaring, and disappeared in a field of maize on 

 the edge of the road. On approaching I found by her moaning 

 that she was still alive, and did not venture at night into the thick 

 plantation which sheltered her. As soon as it was day I went to 

 the spot where she had fallen, and all I found were blood-marks 

 showing her track in the direction of the wood. After sending 

 the dead lioness to the neighboring garrison, who celebrated its 

 arrival by a banquet, I returned to my post of the previous night. 

 A little after sunset the lion roared for the first time, but insteao 

 of quitting his lair he remained there all night roaring like a mad- 

 man. Convinced that the wounded lioness was there, I sent on 

 the morning of the 24th, two Arabs to explore the cover. They 

 returned without daring to approach it. On the night of the 24th 

 there was the same roaring and complaining of the lion on the 

 mountain and under cover. On the 25th, at five in the evening, 

 [ had a young goat muzzled, and proceeded with it to the moun- 

 tain. The lair was exceedingly difficult of access. Nevertheless 

 [ succeeded at last by crawling now on my hands and now on my 

 belly in reaching it. Having discovered certain indications of the 

 presence of the inhabitants of this locality, I had the goat un- 

 muzzled and tied to a tree. Then followed the most comical 

 panic on the part of the Arabs, who were carrying my arms. 

 Seeing themselves in the middle of the lion's lair, whom they 

 could distinctly smell, and hearing the horrified goat calling them 

 wifch all ts might, was a position perfectly intolerable to them. 



