THOMPSON'S DESCRIPTION. 121 



abandons his covert, and stands at bay in the open 

 plain. The whole band of hunters then inarch 

 forward together, and fire deliberately one by one. 

 If he does not speedily fall, but grows angry, and 

 turns upon his enemies, they must stand close to- 

 gether, and turn their horses rear outward somo 

 holding them fast by the bridles, while the others 

 kneel to take a steady aim at the lion as he ap- 

 proaches, sometimes up to the very horses' heels, 

 crouching every now and then, as if to measure the 

 distance and strength of his enemies. This is the 

 moment to shoot him fairly in the forehead, or somo 

 other mortal part. If they continue to wound him 

 ineffectually, till he waxes furious and desperate, or 

 if the horses, startled by his terrific roar, grow 

 frantic with terror, and burst loose, the business 

 becomes rather serious, and may end in mischief, 

 especially if all the party are not men of average 

 coolness and experience. The frontier Boers are, 

 however, generally such excellent marksmen, and 

 withal so cool and deliberate, that they seldom fail 

 to shoot him dead as soon as they get within a fair 

 distance. 



" In the present instance, we did not manage 

 matters quite so scientifically. The Bastards, after 

 recounting to us all these and other sage laws of 

 lion-hunting, were themselves the first to depart 

 from them. Finding that with the few indiflereut 

 hounds we had made but little impression on the 

 enemy, they divided themselves into t\vo or three 

 parties, and rode round the jungle, firing into the 

 spot where the dogs were barking round him but 



