SHOTS AT A LIONESS. 71 



ed to track him up. I often find in tracking up a deer 

 or an antelope in forest land, that I am led to the re- 

 sort of others; and so it was in this case, for I was soon 

 in view of a herd of buffaloes, about twenty in number, 

 grazing in the forest towards the river. I at once 

 stalked them, and as a dry watercourse ran within 

 some sixty yards of the herd, I was soon making my 

 way under cover of its steep banks over the boulders 

 of rock in its bed. On reaching the spot I had fixed 

 on, I raised my head and saw a cow buffalo feeding 

 within easy shot, broadside on. I looked long, but 

 could not see a bull among them worth troubling 

 about, and as Moloka was anxious for meat I determin- 

 ed to shoot the cow. Fixing on the neck as the most 

 likely spot in which to kill her at once, I took a steady 

 aim and fired. She dropped like a stone, and the re- 

 mainder of the herd were off in a minute. I did not fire 

 at any of them as they went, not seeing a chance of 

 killing ; nor did I follow them up, as it was getting 

 dusk, and we had strayed some distance from our 

 home. 



Moloka was now satisfied, and begged of me to re- 

 turn at once, so that he might bring some men for the 

 meat. This I consented to do. On our way home, 

 and about a mile from where the carcass of the buf- 

 falo lay, I was approaching, just at dark, a deep water- 

 course, when a fine lioness walked quietly up the side 

 of the steep hill opposite. Though I found much diffi- 

 culty in making out the sight of the rifle I let drive ; she 

 rolled over and over, growling horribly. Then she 

 reared up and fell again. As soon as I could get the 

 rifle steady on her I fired the other barrel, and evi- 



