1Roualc\?n (Bcoroc Gordon Cumtmiu) 281 



spoor exactly where they would drink, I cocked my 

 left barrel, and placed myself and gun in position. 

 The six lions came steadily along the stony ridge, 

 until within sixty yards of me, when they halted for 

 a minute to reconnoitre. One of them stretched out 

 his massive arms on the rock and lay down ; the oth 

 came on, and he then rose and brought up the rear. 

 They walked, as I had anticipated to the old drinking 

 place, and three of them had put down their heads, 

 and were lapping the water loudly, when Kleinboy 

 thought it necessary to shove up his ugly head. I 

 turned slowly to -rebuke him, and again turning to 

 the lions, found myself discovered. 



An old lioness, who seemed to take the lead, had 

 detected me, and with her head high, and her eyes 

 fixed full upon me she was coming slowly round the 

 corner of the little vley to cultivate further my 

 acquaintance ! This unfortunate coincidence put a stop 

 to all further contemplation. I thought in my haste 

 that it was perhaps most prudent to shoot this lioness, 

 especially as none of the others had noticed me. I 

 accordingly moved my arm and covered her ; she saw 

 me move, and halted, exposing a full broadside. I fired ; 

 the ball entered one shoulder and passed out behind the 

 other. She bounded forward with repeated growls, and 

 was followed by her five comrades, all enveloped in a 

 cloud of dust ; nor did they stop until they had reached 

 the cover behind me, except one old gentleman, who 

 halted and looked back for a few seconds, when I fired, 

 but the ball went high. I listened anxiously for some 

 sound to denote the approaching end of the lioness ; 



