ONE AFRICAN DAY 205 



course covered with stunted thorn-trees, but as I 

 made a spurt between this place and the two 

 lionesses following, they suddenly threw up their 

 heads and stood looking at me, at the same time 

 uttering two or three angry grunts of disapproval. 



My old horse " Kongoni," though a good enough 

 animal for hunting, had no turn of speed, and if 

 chased by a lion would most certainly have been 

 caught, so I determined to see the rest of the fight 

 out on foot. Wherefore I jumped off and ran for- 

 ward till within 250 yards of the lions, whose 

 demonstrations now became so alarming that I saw 

 the moment for action had arrived. 



Most unfortunately, the ground was covered with 

 longish grass and stunted bush where I could neither 

 sit nor lie down, so was obliged to take my shot 

 from the shoulder, always a bad position for a long 

 shot. Sighting carefully, I saw the bullet strike 

 an ant-heap about 200 yards beyond the lioness, 

 but in a good line, perhaps two or three inches too 

 high. The beast I fired at stood perfectly still, 

 but the second lioness now lay down and began 

 switching her tail, afterwards uttering a loud roar. 

 I fired again, and this time hit the lioness in the 

 centre of the shoulder. She raised her foreleg and 

 bit it fiercely, and then ran about thirty yards, 

 swung round once or twice and fell. 



At this moment I heard the sounds of galloping 

 behind me, and knew that Pullar and Judd were 

 coming up at full speed. Glancing towards the 

 second lioness, I now saw she had charged up within 

 100 yards of me, and was lying flat out on the 

 ground, switching her tail from side to side and 

 uttering low growls. I covered her with my 



