THE LION COUNTRY 



On reaching the place where I had left it, I saw 

 nothing. I went out of the ravine where I was to 

 look for the animal, when I heard a roaring on my 

 left, and saw a big lion emerging from a thicket ready 

 to charge. I had just time to fire at the brute's chest, 

 but the rapidity of the shot spoilt its accuracy, and 

 the bullet only broke the lion's shoulder and wounded 

 one lung. The lion rolled over, got up again, roared, 

 and re-entered the thicket before I was able to reload. 

 I sat down to wait until the thick mist had lifted 

 and sent for reinforcements from camp. Puech came 

 down with all the Commandant's negroes as well as 

 his own. I armed these men, and we commenced a 

 battle with over sixty beaters. If I departed from 

 my habit of never following a wounded lion into high 

 grass, it was because the latter was not so tall as usual. 

 It was hardly over two and a half feet. We advanced 

 cautiously in line, following the bloody trail, which 

 we suddenly lost. Thinking that the wounded animal 

 had turned aside to gain the shelter of a small mimosa 

 wood near the M'sicatzi, I turned to the right. Soon 

 afterwards the native who was walking at the end of 

 the line whistled, and was answered by a roar. This 

 sound is the announcement of an imminent charge, 

 and was so well understood by the beaters that they 

 scattered in hurried flight. We quickly turned round, 

 and saw, forty paces away, the waving tail of the 

 lion. Puech, who was on my right, said : " I see it, 

 will you fire ? " " Yes, yes!" There was no time for 



(115) 



