236 LAEGE GAME. CHAP. v. 



threw him off, though his fore-feet still retained their hold, 

 and I could see his head buried in her back. How much 

 longer, and with what termination, the fight would have 

 lasted it is hard to say, though that it would ultimately 

 have ended in the lion's favour, even if his family had had 

 to lend their assistance, is more than probable ; but the 

 appearance of my hunter on the scene put a summary end 

 to it. He had heard the growl of the lion as it sprang, 

 and the bellowing of the cow told him what it meant ; so 

 he had quietly approached to a tree not twenty yards 

 from where the combat was taking place, and seeing 

 that he could fire at the lion with perfect impunity, the 

 tree by him being a tall one, he was only too glad of 

 such an easy opportunity of distinguishing himself, and 

 not noticing that three other lions were within fifteen 

 feet of him, he took a cool ami, and shot it through 

 the back, splintering the bone, and causing instant 

 death. 



I had not noticed him till I heard the shot, but when 

 I looked up he was energetically swarming up the tree, 

 having become aware of his dangerous proximity ; while 

 the three lions, equally frightened, were scampering away 

 as fast as they could. I could hardly fire for laughing, but 

 I sent a bullet after one of them, which made them mend 

 their pace ; and then, seeing that the buffalo was still 

 standing there, I gave her the other barrel in the shoulder, 

 making her plunge forward, half-falling, and then recover- 

 ing, gallop away. Before skinning the lion, we followed 

 the cow up, as I was convinced that she was too much 

 hurt to go far ; and finding her in a clump of bush, in an 

 excessively bad temper, as even an unwounded buffalo is 



