228 HUNTING ADVENTURES 



I had listened with intense anxiety for about fifteen min i ea 

 longer, when I heard the hyaenas and jackals give way on either 

 side behind me from the carcass of the wildebeest, and, turning 

 my head slowly round, beheld a huge and majestic lion, with a 

 black mane which nearly swept the ground, standing over the 

 carcass. He seemed aware of my proximity, and, lowering his 

 head, at once laid hold of the wildebeest and dragged it some 

 distance up the hill. He then halted to take breath, but did not 

 expose a broadside, and in a quarter of a minute he again laid 

 hold of the wildebeest and dragged it about twelve yards further 

 toward the cover, when he again raised his noble head and halted 

 to take breath. 



I had not an instant to loose ; he stood with his rig'nt side 

 exposed to me in a very slanting position ; I stretched my left 

 arm across the grass, and, taking him rather low, fired ; the ball 

 took effect, and the lion sank to the shot. All was still as death 

 for many seconds, when he uttered a deep growl, and, slowly 

 gaining his feet, limped toward the cover, roaring mournfully as 

 he went. When he got into the thorny bushes he stumbled 

 through them as he moved along, and in half a minute I heard 

 him halt and growl fearfully, as if dying. 1 had now every reason 

 to believe that he was either dead or would die .mmediately, and 

 that if I did not seek him till the morning I knew very well thai 

 the hyaenas and jackals would destroy him. I accordingly went 

 up to camp, and, having saddled two horses, I and Martin rode ta 

 seek him, taking all the dogs, led in strings by the natives. On 

 reaching the carcass of the wildebeest we slipped the dogs, and 



