VII THROUGH A GAME COUNTRY 



73 



on us as we passed. The circumstances recalled 

 to my mind the true story of the extraordinary 

 escape of one of the Game Warden's assistants in 

 South Africa, who delivered himself out of the very 

 jaws of a lion, by a good knife, a cool head, and 

 plenty of pluck. This man was riding home at dusk 

 through a game reserve, when a lion suddenly 

 sprang at him out of the bushes, knocking him off 

 his pony and so terrifying the latter that it galloped 

 madly off, pursued by the fierce beast. The man 

 was picking himself up when another lion pounced 

 on him, gripping him through the shoulder. The 

 Game Ranger was dazed for a few moments by 

 the shock, but when he came to his senses he 

 found himself being carried off by the lion, whose 

 long tusks met through and through his right 

 shoulder, rendering his right arm useless. As he 

 was being dragged off in this fashion, with his heels 

 trailing on the ground, he gave himself up for lost, 

 but suddenly bethought himself of an old hunting 

 knife he carried on his waist-belt at his right side. 

 The knife was so loose in its sheath that it usually 

 fell out on the least provocation, and even as the 

 Ranger quietly doubled his left hand behind his back, 

 he had a hopeless feeling that it would not be there. 

 Imagine his joy when he felt the hilt in his desperate 

 grip ! In a moment the long keen blade was poised, 

 and a blow at the lion's heart, thrice rapidly repeated, 



