A HUGE LION SHOT. 257 



with my rifle at my shoulder, and, covering his fore- 

 head until he was within four yards of mo, arrested him 

 in full career with a ball in the forehead. 



Three of the buffaloes which we had shot having 

 been left in the veld, I deemed it more than probable 

 that a lion might be found on some one of them if 

 sought for at early dawn ; accordingly, having substi- 

 tuted a bowl of warm milk for coffee, I rode forth with 

 an after-rider and a troop of my dogs to seek the king 

 of beasts. On gaining the first buffalo, I found that 

 my natives had left a flag of peace flying over him, 

 which had guarded him from the attacks of the beasts 

 of prey. Upon the second buffalo, however, a hundred 

 vultures were feasting merrily ; but, as I approached 

 the third, the sudden rush of a flight of vultures over 

 my head toward the buffalo told me that some occu- 

 pant which had hitherto kept them aloof had that mo- 

 ment quitted the carcass, and on galloping forward and 

 clearing an intervening rising ground, I had the satis- 

 faction to behold a huge and shaggy lion trotting slow- 

 ly off toward the cover along the banks of the river, 

 within two hundred yards of me. 



I instantly rode for him at top speed to get my dogs 

 clear of the carrion, and, if possible, to bring the lion to 

 bay before he should gain any bad cover. We came 

 up with him just as he gained a small belt of reeds on 

 the river's bank. The lion sprang into the river's bed 

 and stood at bay. Riding up within fifteen yards, I dis- 

 abled him with a shot in the shoulder, and then, spring- 

 ing from my horse, which was unsteady, went up to 

 within twelve yards on foot, and finished him with my 

 second shot, which he got behind the shoulder. This 

 was a fine old lion, with perfect tusks and a very beau- 

 tiful coat of hair. Leaving Booi to protect him from 



