HUNTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 371 



beautiful leopards. At the next bend of the river three huge 

 crocodiles lay on the sand on the opposite side. Stalking 

 within easy range, I shot one of them in the head : his com- 

 rades instantly dashed into the water, but he lay as if dead 

 high on the sand. A second shot, however, through the ribs 

 brought him back to life. On receiving it he kept running 

 round and, snapping his horrid jaws fearfully at his own 

 wounded side. In the convusions of death he made one run 

 clean away from the water, but another unlucky turn brought 

 his head toward the river, into which he eventually rolled. 

 Galloping along from this place to my wagons, I came sud- 

 denly upon a lion and lioness lying in the grass below a gi- 

 gantic old mimosa. Dismounting from my horse, I took a 

 couple of shots at the lion, missing him with my first, but 

 wounding him with my second shot, when he rose with several 

 angry short growls and bounded off. A few hundred yards 

 farther on I found my wagons drawn up, and on reaching 

 them my men informed me that they had just seen two huge 

 hippopotami in the river beneath. Proceeding to the spot, 

 we found them still swimming there. I shot one, putting 

 three balls into his head, but night setting in we lost him. 



A HYENA. 



