DANGEROUS TOSITIOX. 167 



ness in the use of fire-arms, I reckoned little upon 

 the assistance I might derive from him in case of 

 need. Good will was not, however, wanting, and 

 we advanced side by side to the rescue. 



" Poor Woodhouse, I expected to find him dead, 

 and I must say I thought it was a bad business as 

 regards myself; for the brute, independent of the 

 natural ferocity of his disposition, seemed to possess 

 a charmed life, the shot not crippling him in the 

 slightest degree. And let it not for a moment 

 be supposed that the guns employed were light, or 

 ill directed. All was right in these respects, as was 

 fully shown in the sequel. 



" There was dry grass of from one and a half to two 

 feet in height, with scattered bushes at the spot where 

 the accident occurred, and I did not know exactly 

 where Woodhouse lay, but advancing, and looking 

 earnestly around, I was delighted to hear his voice at 

 my left, saying, * Come in the other direction,' afraid, 

 doubtless, that, from our relative positions, my shot 

 might strike him. My attention was instantly dra\vn 

 to the spot whence the voice came, and I saw at that 

 moment the lion's head rising just above the grass at 

 twenty or twenty-five yards distance he saluting me 

 at the same time with one of his pleasant growls, 

 and evidently coming on. There was no time for 

 hesitation, and in spite of Woodhouse's caution, 1 

 seized the opportunity, and with steady aim pulled 

 the trigger that was most likely to decide his fate as 

 well as my own. The result was instantaneous 

 the beast's head dropped like a stone he was in- 

 deed stone dead, the ball having passed in between 

 the eyes to the very brain. 



