262 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



felt melancholy and sorrowful at passing so fleetingly through it, 

 and couid no help shouting out, as I marched along, Where a 

 the coward who would not dare to die for such a land ?" 



In the morning we held for a fountain some miles ahead in a 

 gorge in the mountains. As we approached the fountain, and 

 were passing close under a steep rocky hill side, well wooded to 

 its summit, I unexpectedly beheld a lion stealing up the rocky face, 

 and, halting behind a tree, he stood overhauling us for some 

 minutes. I resolved to give him battle, and seizing my rifle, 

 marched against him, followed by Carey carrying a spare gun, 

 and by three men leading my dogs, now reduced to eight. When 

 we got close in to the base of the mountain, we found ourselves 

 enveloped in dense jungle, which extended halfway to its summit, 

 and entirely obscured from our eyes objects which were quite ap- 

 parent from the wagons. I slipped my dogs, however, which, 

 after snuffing about, took right up the steep face on the spoor of 

 the lions, for there was a troop of them a lion and three lionesses. 



The people at the wagons saw the chase in perfection. When 

 the lions observed the dogs coming on, they took right up, and 

 three of them crossed over the sky ridge. The dogs, however, 

 turned one rattling old lioness, which came rumbling down through 

 the cover, close past me. I ran to meet her, and she came to bay 

 in an open spot near the base of the mountain, whither I quickly 

 followed, and coming up within thirty yards, bowled her over with 

 my first shot, which broke her back. My second entered her 

 shoulder ; and fearing that she might hurt any of the dogs, as she 

 still evinced signs of life, I finished her with a third in the bieast. 

 The bellies of all the four lions were much distended by some 

 game they had been gorging, no doubt a buffalo, as a large herd 

 started out of the jungle immediately under the spot where the 

 noble beasts were first disturbed. 



Showers of rain fell every hour throughout the 24th, so I em- 

 ployed my men in making feldt-schoens, or, in other words, African 

 brogues for me. These shoes were worthy of a sportsman, being 

 light, yet strong, and were entirely composed of the skins of game 

 of my shooting. The soles were made of either buffiilo or camel- 



