102 THE LION. 



mal lay concealed. He was couched among the roots 

 of a large evergreen, but with a small space of open 

 ground on one side of it ; and they fancied, on ap- 

 proaching, that they saw him distinctly lying glaring 

 at them under the foliage. Charging the Bastaards 

 to stand firm, and level fair, should they miss, the 

 Scottish champions let fly together, and struck not 

 the lion, as it afterwards proved, but a great block 

 of red stone, beyond which he was actually lying. 

 Whether any of the shot grazed him is uncertain ; 

 but, with no other warning than a furious growl, 

 forth he bolted from the bush. The rascally Bas- 

 taards, in place of pouring in their volley upon him, 

 instantly turned and ran, helter-skelter, leaving him 

 to do his pleasure upon the defenceless Scots, who, 

 with empty guns, were tumbling over each other, in 

 their hurry to escape the clutch of the rampant sa- 

 vage. In a twinkling he was upon them, and, with one 

 stroke of his paw, dashed the nearest to the ground. 

 The scene was terrific 1 There stood the lion, with 

 his foot upon his prostrate foe, looking round in con- 

 scious pride upon the bands of his assailants, and 

 with a port the most noble and imposing that can 

 be conceived. It was the most magnificent thing I 

 ever witnessed. The danger of our friends, how- 

 ever, rendered it at the moment too terrible to enjoy 

 either the grand or the ludicrous part of the picture. 

 We expected every instant to see one or more of 

 them torn in pieces ; nor, though the rest of the party 

 were standing within fifty paces, with their guns 



