i88 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



ing of antagonism, a pitting of forces and skills. He 

 delivers each shot with an impact of nervous force be- 

 hind it, as though he were to strike with his own hands. 

 ''Take that ! take that ! take that ! " his mind seems to it- 

 self to mutter; though of course he has really no time 

 nor attention to waste on articulation. And beneath 

 all this is a great wary alertness that sits like a captain 

 in a conning tower, spying cannily over all the situation 

 as it develops, poised ready to plan competently for the 

 unexpected. 



Excited, in the usual sense of the word? No. But 

 alive to the uttermost of all his faculties at once? 

 Yes. That is why the moment is supreme. 



I killed that lion with three shots, the last delivered 

 at eight paces. He was considerably slowed by his 

 previous wounds, but he made a gallant fight. Each 

 blow stopped him short; but he gathered himself and 

 came on. He rolled over at last: stone dead. 



Returning, we found the first lion dead when my 

 second shot had caught him just under the chin. I do 

 not know just which rifles did what, except in the case 

 of the first few shots, as after one or two shots I always 

 handed them back for reloads, desiring always as full 

 magazines as possible. 



The row must have been appalling, though we had 

 no chance to notice it, for every beast was snarling and 

 growling and roaring without limit, and the rifle fire 

 was pretty rapid. Fired five shots from the .405 at 



