586 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



they pressed their heels to their horses' sides, and were 

 preparing to betake themselves to flight. I asked them 

 what they were going to do. To which they answered, 

 "We have not yet placed caps on our rifles." This was 

 true; but while this short conversation was passing, the 

 lioness had observed us. Raising her full, round face, she 

 overhauled us for a few seconds, and then set off at a smart 

 canter towards a range of mountains some miles to the north- 

 ward ; the whole troop of jackals also started off in another 

 direction ; there was, therefore, no time to think of caps. 

 The first move was to bring her to bay, and not a second 

 was to be lost. Spurring my good and lively steed, and 

 shouting to my men to follow, I flew across the plain, and, 

 being fortunately mounted on Colesburg, the flower of my 

 stud, I gained upon her at every stride. This was to me a 

 joyful moment, and I at once made up my mind that she or 

 I must die. 



The lioness having had a long start of me, we went over 

 a considerable extent of ground before I came up with her. 

 She was a large, full-grown beast, and the bare and level 

 nature of the plain added to her imposing appearance. 

 Finding that I gained upon her, she reduced her pace from 

 a canter to a trot, carrying her tail stuck out behind her, 

 and slewed a little to one side. I shouted loudly to her to 

 halt, as I wished to speak with her, upon which she suddenly 

 pulled up, and sat on her haunches like a dog, with her 

 back towards me, not even deigning to look round. She 

 then appeared to say to herself, " Does this fellow know who 

 he is after?" Having thus sat for half a minute, as if 

 involved in thought, she sprang to her feet, and, facing 

 about, stood looking at me for a few seconds, moving her 

 tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth, and growling 

 fiercely. She next made a short run forward, making a 

 loud, rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate 

 me ; but, finding that I did not flinch an inch nor seem to 



