276 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



ever, I heard them plunge into the river, when I sprang 

 from my horse, and, running to the top of the bank, 

 saw three of them ascending the opposite bank, the 

 dogs following. One of them bounded away across the 

 open plain at top speed ; but the other two, finding 

 themselves followed by the dogs, immediately turned 

 to bay. It was now my turn.; so, taking them coolly 

 right and left with my little rifle, I made the most glo- 

 rious double shot that a sportsman's heart could desire, 

 disabling them both in the shoukler before they were 

 even aware of my position. Then snatching my other 

 gun from Carey, who that moment had ridden up to 

 my assistance, I finished the first lion with a shot about 

 the heart, and brought the second to a standstill by dis- 

 abling him in his hind quarters. He quickly crept into 

 a dense, wide, dark green bush, in which for a long 

 time it was impossible to obtain a glimpse of him. At 

 length a clod of earth falling near his hiding-place, he 

 made a move which disclosed to me his position, when 

 I finished him with three more shots, all along the mid- 

 dle of his back. Carey swam across the river to flog 

 off the dogs ; and when these came through to me, I 

 beat up the peninsula in quest of the fourth lion, which 

 had, however, made off. We then crossed the river a 

 little higher up, and proceeded to inspect the noble prizes 

 I had won. Both lions were well up in their years ; 

 I kept the skin and skull of the finest specimen, and 

 only the nails and tail of the other, one of whose canine 

 teeth was worn down to the socket with caries, which 

 seemed very much to have affected his general condi- 

 tion. 



On the 9th it rained unceasingly throughout the day, 

 converting the rich soil on which we were encamped 

 into one mass of soft, sticky clay. In the forenoon, 



