-* A Lion-Hunt 



starting back in alarm, pointed with wild gestures towards 

 a small clump of reeds in the water. 



To hear and to bolt was the work of an instant, 

 even for my reserve carrier Ramadan, a great strong 

 Swahili, who had stood the test on other occasions. 

 Obeying a first impulse I followed him ten paces, seized 

 him by the neck, and ordered him to remain. He turned 

 round, his whole body trembling, and went back with 

 me, and we now sought to make out the lion among the 

 reeds, from which a pool of about five yards' breadth 

 divided us. We could not do so, however, though the 

 men on the other side still motioned to us excitedly that 

 a big lion was there. In another moment something 

 moved among the reeds in Corporal Ellis's direction his 

 Martini-Henry rang out, and a large lioness, showing 

 that she had been grazed, came for us with a sudden 

 spring. For a second her head offered me a fair mark, 

 and with a lucky shot at seven or eight paces I brought 

 her down dead. 



The bullet, a 4/5 steel one as usual, settled side- 

 ways in the nape of the neck, killing immediately, as 

 always happens with such shots. I have preserved it 

 in my collection of 8-millimetre bullets as a souvenir of 

 the occasion. 



My joy was intense ! The corporal congratulated me 

 heartily, and our return was heralded by all the men with 

 shouts of glee. Twelve men carried our booty back to 

 the camp. In the stomach we found the remains of a 

 zebra. 



After a quick breakfast we set out again to shoot 



361 



