288 LION-HUNTING AND LIONS 



the worse, and, lashed to fury hy a second shot, advanced 

 by high leaps towards the frightened boys. 



On this, Baker, who had till now been hidden behind 

 the ant-hills, snatched up his spare gun and stood in front 

 of his cover. The lioness was startled by this movement, 

 and half turned, receiving as she did so a charge of shot 

 in her hind quarters. This decided her to retreat, and 

 the grass soon hid her from sight, though they still heard 

 her groaning. 



Then some of the other men came up, and were 

 hastily placed in line to receive the lioness when she 

 should make her charge. 



A shot soon brought her out, charging in those 

 tremendous leaps so frightening to see, and the spears 

 thrown by the natives missed her entirely. There was 

 nothing for it but flight, and in a moment the black men 

 were tearing for their lives in every direction. But a 

 shot from Baker's breech-loader right in the chest rolled 

 her over a second time, when she had almost reached 

 him, and a ball at the back of her neck, fired at twelve 

 yards distance, at last put an end to her struggles. 



Inside her stomach was found a freshly eaten antelope, 

 which the black men, who were not particular, begged to 

 have for their dinner. After this it is not surprising to 

 hear that they were prepared to eat the lioness herself, 

 while the white men took the other antelope for their share. 



Nearl) sixty years have passed since Dr. Livingstone 

 sailed for Algoa Bay, whence he was to start for his 

 missionary travels into the centre i >! Africa. His journeys 

 were made either by ox-back, or on foot, and at first the 

 natives despised him for his size, which was much less 

 than theirs ; but it was not long before they learnt to take 

 a different view of the white man who had come among 

 them. 



In the middle of the Bechuana country, which is 

 bordered on the west by the great Kalahari desert, lies a 



