THE LION COUNTRY 



waterbuck and a gnu, the latter of which I left lying 

 where it fell. The next morning, in a light mist, I 

 went to look at my bait, and heard some jackals 

 yelping in that direction. " Listen," said Joaqui, 

 " the jackals are howling, that means the lions are 

 there." I advanced cautiously, and about sixty 

 yards away saw in place of the gnu, two big lionesses. 

 One was lying down, and the other sitting on its 

 haunches, licking its paws. I shot this latter in the 

 middle of the neck, which I consider to be the best 

 place for a distance under 100 yards. If you miss, 

 the lion rapdily makes off, doing away with all idea 

 of following it. If you hit, you break its neck and 

 sever either the carotid artery or the jugular vien, 

 and the animal dies. This time, I took a good aim, 

 and the Hon fell without moving j the other one, 

 leaping up at my shot, saw me and fled. I fired at 

 about 120 yards and lodged a bullet in its shoulder. 

 It uttered a roar, but continued its way and entered 

 a thicket near the M'sicatzi. I examined the blood 

 which flowed from the wound, and discovered that 

 one lung had been hit. Rendered cautious by the 

 accidents I had been told of, and by those at which I 

 had been present during my sporting life, I left the 

 creature, reserving it for the next day, and returned 

 satisfied with having shot a lion measuring 8 feet 

 4 inches. 



In the afternoon I shot two gnus, leaving one as 

 a bait, not far from the place where I had killed the 



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