52 THE LION. 



tance. After the cattle had been quieted again, and 

 I had looked over everything, I missed the sentry 

 before the tent. We called as loudly as possible, 

 but in vain, nobody answered, from which I con- 

 cluded, he was carried off. Three or four men then 

 advanced very cautiously to the bush, which stood 

 right opposite the door of the tent, to see if they 

 could discover anything of the man; but retired 

 helter-skelter, for the lion, who was still there, 

 rose up and began to roar. 



" About a hundred shots were again fired at the 

 bush, without our perceiving anything of the beast. 

 This induced one of the men again to approach it with 

 a firebrand in his hand, but as soon as he neared 

 the bush, the lion roared terribly, and leaped at 

 him, on which he threw the firebrand at the animal, 

 and the other people having fired about ten shots 

 at him, he returned immediately to his former 

 station. 



" The firebrand which the man had thrown at the 

 lion had fallen in the midst of the bush, and favoured 

 by the wind, it began to burn with a great flame, 

 so that we could see very clearly into it, and through 

 it. We continued our firing into it. The night 

 passed away, and the day began to break, which 

 animated everyone to fire at the lion, because 

 he could not bo there without exposing himself 

 entirely. Seven men posted at the farthest waggons 

 watched to take him as he came out. At last, before 

 it became quite light, he walked up the hill with the 

 man in his mouth, when about forty shots were fired 

 without hitting him. He persevered in retaining 



