104 A STRANGE SCENE. 



stand fifty yards in front of a rifle, aimed and fired at his breast, than to hold the 

 same position, unarmed, in front of a buffalo; for, in the former instance, the weapon 

 might miss, but, in the latter, death is inevitable. 



From this statement you can form an idea of the beast, which, finding itseL as- 

 sailed by a couple of lions, coolly backed against a rock and faced them. 



Now and then the bull flirted his head in a savage way, with a short, muttering 

 bellow, to which the lions answered with a somewhat similar cry. Then the assail- 

 ants began creeping stealthily forward, their bodies close to the ground, and the 

 ends of their lashing tails thumping angrily against their ribs. 



Either could have made a leap that would have landed him on the shoulders of 

 the bull, but, though they seemed to meditate an assault of the kind they hesitated 

 to attempt it. 



The bull, as is a favorite custom with his kind, had been wallowing in the mud 

 until his entire body was coated. This coating had been baked by the sun, and, 

 since his violent movements had dislocated many of the flakes, his appearance 

 could not have been more unsightly. But he was " game " all the way through. 



The first glance that Dick Brownell obtained of the stirring sight showed that 

 the bull was attended by a small bird, which, unmindful of the peril of his huge 

 friend, kept industriously garnering the insects that swarmed along his spine. 

 When the latter charged, the bird rode with him, more interested in obtaining his 

 own meal than in the strange combat going on. 



It is claimed by some that the textor erythrorhynchus t as scientists have named 

 this bird, warns the bull of the approach of danger, but I believe the weight of 

 authority is against the assertion. 



The strange contest (if at this stage it could be called a contest) had probably 

 continued some time when Dick Brownell arrived on the scene, though he saw no 

 proof of any wounds having been given or received by any of the combatants, not 

 one of which paid the least heed to him. 



The larger of the assailants appeared to be growing impatient. While his com- 

 panion was darting forward, and then quickly retreating a few paces, he stood erect, 

 as if debating whether the best thing was not io him to dash in, and, with a short 

 struggle, end the business. 



His decision seemed to be hastened by the retreat of his comrade, for, with an- 

 other threatening growl, he trotted straight toward the bull. The latter, instead of 

 awaiting his assault, advanced to meet him. 



This, evidently, was more than the lion had counted on, for, standing his ground 

 but a moment, he dropped his tail, and ran back, afraid of the frightful horns that 

 were coming toward him with the momentum of a battering-ram. 



The bull was too wise to be drawn far from the rock and placed at a fatal dis- 

 advantage. Having followed the lion, therefore, a short distance, he trotted swiftly 

 back to his first position, holding his head high, so as to be prepared for any dem- 

 onstration of his foes. Then he instantly wheeled and faced them, defiant as ever. 



The smaller of the lions was more cunning than the other. Leaving the latter 



