Big Game- Shoot ing Trips 45 



after trekking for miles through burnt grass, we 

 arrived late at Sluetelfontein, drew the wagons a dis- 

 tance apart, and made a rough bush " kraal " to keep 

 the loose cattle between the spans of oxen. My horse 

 was tied to the hind wheel of my wagon, my brother 

 and a friend slept in the other wagon, the native 

 drivers and leaders on the ground under their wagon. 

 We had heard no lions and it was very dark. About 

 midnight I woke hearing a gurgling noise, got off, 

 with my shot gun loaded with slugs, (as I had been 

 shooting small buck), and saw an animal close to me 

 which I took for a hyena sitting up in the road, gave 

 him the charge of slugs right in his face, he, a large 

 male lion, gave a tremendous roar, fell, and got up 

 again, and got into a patch of dry grass in a gulley, 

 where after some commotion, he was quiet. The 

 cattle were now all on the alert and I ordered the 

 men to stand round them. When quiet was restored, 

 I looked for my horse, he was gone from the wheel, 

 the buffalo " reim " broken, and the gurgling noise 

 was heard again about 30 paces away. I called my 

 driver, Klaas, to make a flambeau of grass on a long 

 stick, and come with my spare gun. We went 

 towards the sound, and two green eyes were looking 

 at us over the side of my dead horse, behind which 

 the lioness was crouching. Klaas lifted the torch, I 

 fired at the eyes, and in a flash the lioness charged 

 me. Klaas bolted with the light, and the other gun, 

 and in diving under the wagon, cut his head open 

 against a bolt. The lioness stopped a few yards 

 from me, so near that I felt the gravel she disturbed 

 rattle against my legs ; she then went back again and 

 lay behind the horse. I got Klaas back with a fresh 

 torch, and promised to shoot him if he bolted again. 

 I fired several shots at her, the brute rushing at me 

 and growling, but turning back each time about half 

 way, as fortunately I had not wounded her in the 



