1G4 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



all the while feeling for his neck, and when he got hold 

 of that, dragged him into the shade. The poor man 

 cried, " Help me, help me, God ! Men, help me ! " 

 Then all was still, except that his comrades heard the 

 cracking of his bones. The beast did not heed the 

 beating about the head with the burning wood. The 

 lion dragged the remains of him away the next morning, 

 but in the hollow was found one of poor Hendrick's 

 legs, the shoe still on the foot, with fragments of his 

 coat. The next day came the lion's turn ; for the party, 

 by killing him, avenged the death of poor Hendrick.' 



It has often been said that the human voice has great 

 power over the fiercest animals ; and I do not think 

 a stronger proof of it can be met with than in this 

 adventure of Mr. Gordon Cumming's : ' I fired at the 

 nearest lioness, having only one shot in my rifle. The 

 ball told badly. The lioness at which I had fired wheeled 

 right round and came on, lashing her tail, showing her 

 teeth, and making that horrid, murderous, deep growl 

 which an angry lion generally utters. Her comrade 

 hastily retreated. The instant the lioness came on I 

 stood up to my full height, holding my rifle, and my 

 arms extended high above my head. This checked her 

 in her course ; but on looking round and missing her 

 comrade, and observing Ruyter slowly advancing, she 

 was still more exasperated, and fancying that she was 

 near being surrounded, she made another forward 

 movement, growling terribly. This was a moment of 

 great danger. I felt that my only chance of safety was 

 extreme steadiness ; so, standing motionless as a rock, 

 with my eyes firmly fixed upon her, I called in a clear, 

 commanding voice, " Holloa, old girl ! what's the hurry? 

 take it easy ! Holloa, holloa ! " She once more halted 



