CHAP. v. LIONS. 277 



deep, did not seem, to me a mortal one, but he died the 

 next day, probably as much from weakness and loss of 

 blood as anything else. We carried him up on a rude 

 litter to the village where we were staying, and hard 

 tiring work it was for us four to carry the moaning man 

 the twenty miles we had to go, but we thought we might 

 save him, and he certainly would not have lived in the 

 flats during the rainy season. 



Although I do not think that the lion deserves the 

 title of king of beasts, as the elephant is more sagacious, 

 and the black rhinoceros (upetyane) is certainly more 

 dangerous, and either of the two could kill him in a few 

 moments, with but little danger to themselves, I consider 

 him the most noble-looking of all. 



Perhaps the most beautiful sight that I ever saw in 

 connexion with them was on a morning when I had gone 

 out to hunt with one bearer at dawn. I had not got far 

 from camp, and, most carelessly, my gun was still unloaded 

 while I was examining some buffalo spoor, when on look- 

 ing up I saw my gun-bearer, who had my cartridges, 

 running away at full speed. Knowing that he must have 

 seen something to frighten him so, I did not shout, but 

 went to where he had been standing a few yards ahead, 

 and there, sure enough, not twenty yards off, were a pair 

 of lions ; they were both full grown, and the male had an 

 immense mane, and formed altogether as handsome a pair 

 as I ever saw ; the lioness was rolling on her back, play- 

 fully striking out at her lord and master with her fore- 

 paws like a kitten, while he stood gravely and majestically 

 looking on. I stopped a moment to watch them, though 

 the ground was quite open, and they must have seen me 



