CHAP. v. LIONS. 235 



undisturbed, as they must have seen him had he been 

 walking erect. And, putting these two together, I drew 

 the further conclusion that he was at that moment 'close 

 to me, possibly within two or three yards, and that I had 

 better get above and scan the ground before I did any- 

 thing else. I had to go a little back to gain the shelter 

 of a projecting rock, but I did so as quickly as possible, 

 and, once there, I cautiously raised my head and peered 

 over. The two buffalo that were in sight were lying 

 down, and I could just distinguish the flapping of their 

 ears as they lazily drove the flies away, evidently perfectly 

 unsuspicious. For some minutes I could see nothing of 

 the lion, till an unnatural movement of the grass attracted 

 my attention, and there, sure enough, was his majesty, 

 with his head between his paws, stealing up, foot by foot, 

 to within springing distance ; and, as my eye glanced 

 back along the broad trail he had left, I saw three other 

 heads laid flat the wife and family of the stalker 

 watching his movements with hungry eyes. It was too 

 interesting a sight for me to have disturbed it ; indeed, it 

 was too late, even if I had wished to, for almost imme- 

 diately the lion gained his distance, crouched himself 

 flat, until he seemed sinking into the ground, and with 

 a low and probably irrepressible growl, launched himself 

 at the nearest buffalo. It was a large, full-grown cow, 

 not impossibly experienced in attacks of this sort, on the 

 back of which he lighted, and though taken at a dis- 

 advantage, she struggled up, despite his weight and his 

 savage teeth tearing at her neck and shoulder, seeking 

 to crush the spine ; and, probably unintentionally, she 

 staggered under the tree, the lower branches of which 



