192 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



cautiously through the jungle, expecting to meet Borne animal that 

 would supply the necessary food. We had not walked half a mile 

 when we emerged upon a narrow glade about 80 yards in length, 

 surrounded by thick bush. At one end of this secluded and shady 

 spot an immense lion was lying asleep upon the ground, about 70 

 yards distant, on the verge of the dense nabbuk. 



He rose majestically as we disturbed him by our noise in break- 

 ing through the bushes, and before he had time to arrange his 

 ideas, I fired, hitting him through the shoulder. With the usual 

 roars he rolled several times in apparent convulsive struggles, until 

 half hidden beneath the dense jungle ; there he remained. 



If I had had a double rifle I could have repeated the shot, but 

 in those days of muzzle-loaders I had to reload a single rifle, and 

 as usual, when in a hurry, the bullet stuck in the barrel and I 

 could not drive it home. 



In this perplexity, to my astonishment my Arab hunter advanced 

 towards the wounded lion, with his drawn sword grasped firmly 

 in his right hand, while his left held his projected shield, and thus 

 unsupported and alone, this determined fellow marched slowly 

 forward until within a few yards of the lion, which, instead of 

 rushing to attack, crept like a coward into impenetrable thorns, 

 and was seen no more. The Arab subsequently explained that he 

 had acted in this manner, hoping that the lion would have crouched 

 preparatory to a spring ; he would then have halted, and the delay 

 would have given me time to load. 



I have before remarked upon the extreme danger of despising 

 an adversary, and although I do not consider the lion to be so 

 formidable or ferocious as the tiger, that is no reason for despising 

 an animal which has always been respected from remote antiquity 

 to the present day. It is impossible to be too careful when in 

 pursuit of dangerous game. My friend Colonel Knox of the Scots 

 Fusilier Guards, an experienced and fearless sportsman, very nearly 

 lost his life in an encounter with a lioness, although under the 

 circumstances he could hardly be blamed for want of due precaution. 

 He had shot the animal, which was lying stretched out, as though 

 dead. Being alone, he returned to camp to procure the necessary 

 people, and together with these he went to the spot, where he 

 found the lioness in the same position. Naturally he considered 

 that it was dead, but upon approaching the prostrate body he was 

 instantly attacked, knocked down, and seized by the back ; he 

 would assuredly have been killed had he not been assisted by his 

 followers. Although he killed the lioness, he was seriously mauled, 

 and was laid up for a considerable period in consequence. 



