210 THE LTON. 



tively, and with his eyes wide open, Yernaas was 

 guided by the motion of a reed. The instant after- 

 wards he found himself, at ten paces distance, face 

 to face with the lioness, who was licking her wounds. 

 She had no time even to look up, for the gun was 

 discharged the ball entered her breast, and she 

 was a corpse ! 



" But, although no doubt could be entertained on 

 this point, Vernaas, mad with passion, gave the 

 carcase a desperate blow with the butt-end of his 

 piece." 



Dr. Burchell gives the following description of 

 an encounter with lions. " The day was exceed- 

 ingly pleasant, and not a cloud to be seen. For 

 a mile or two we travelled alono: the banks of 



O 



the river, which, in this part, abounded in tail mat- 

 rushes. The dogs seemed much to enjoy prowling 

 about, examining every bush}' place, and at last 

 met with, some object among the rushes which 

 caused them to set up a most vehement and deter- 

 mined barking. We explored the spot with caution, 

 as we suspected, from the peculiar tone of their 

 bark, that it was, what it proved to be, a lion. 

 Having encouraged the dogs to drive him out, a 

 task which they performed with great willingness, 

 we had a full view of an enormous black-maned lion 

 and a lioness. The latter was seen only for a mi- 

 nute, as she made her escape up the river under 

 concealment of the rushes, but the lion came steadily 

 forward and stood to look at us. At this moment 

 we felt our situation not free from danger, as the 

 animal seemed preparing to spring upon us, arid we 

 were standing on the bank, at the distance of only 



