DANGER OF A SOLITARY TRAVELLED. 201 



thorn-bushes. He went to the water, took a hearty 

 drink, returned to the rock, smoked his pipe, and, 

 being a little tired, fell asleep. 



" In a short time the heat reflected from the rock 

 awoke him, and on opening his eyes he saw a large 

 lion couching before him, with its eyes glaring in 

 his face, and within little more than a yard of his 

 feet. He sat motionless for some minutes, till he 

 had recovered his presence of mind; then, eyeing 

 his gun, moved his hand slowly towards it. The 

 lion seeing him thus occupied, raised its head, and 

 gave a tremendous roar. He made another and 

 another attempt ; but the gun being far beyond his 

 reach, he gave it up, as the lion seemed well aware 

 of his object, and was enraged whenever he at- 

 tempted to move his hand. His situation was now 

 painful in the extreme ; the rock on which he sat 

 became so hot that he could scarcely bear his naked 

 feet to touch it, and he therefore kept moving them, 

 alternately placing one above the other. 



" The day passed, and the night also, but the liou 

 never moved from the spot. The sun rose again, 

 and its intense heat soon rendered his loot past 

 feeling. At noon the lion rose and walked to the 

 water, only a few yards distant, looked behind as 

 he went, lest the man should move ; and seeing 

 him stretch out his hand to take his gun, turned in 

 a rage, and was on the point of springing upon him. 

 The animal went to the water, drank, and returning, 

 lay down again nt the edge of the rock. 



" Another night passed ; the man, in describing 

 it, said he knew not whether he slept, but, if he 



