90 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



me. Presently I was abreast of his animal, which was leaning, 

 hard hit, against a tree. I gave it a widish berth, not wishing to 

 finish Frank's work, and pressed on after the others ; but, just 

 as I passed, it made a plunge forward, and began to run again ; 

 at the same instant the bush was streaked with yellow, and 

 calling out, ' Come along, there's a lion ! ' I put on a spurt to 

 get first shot, carrying the gun at the trail, for one had to 

 stoop often under the branches of the thorns. After going 

 a hundred yards, I could distinctly hear the sharp snort of the 

 buffalo, and muffled growl of its assailant, and knew that the 

 latter had got hold. I still ran on, looking out for a sight 

 of the combatants, when suddenly the man who had kept up 

 with me put his hand on my wrist, and, pulling rather harder 

 than he intended, stooping forwards and running as I was, 

 down I came over-balanced. ' What is it ? ' I asked angrily. 

 ' Look ! ' he answered. Within twenty-five yards a magnificent 

 fight was going on. Two other male lions had joined the one I 

 had first seen, and run blood-spoor till they had overtaken and 

 stopped the buffalo. They were now all standing rampant on 

 him, teeth and claws both at work, the gallant old bull doing 

 his utmost to hold his own against odds. He tried to gore 

 them, but they hugged his side, putting their bodies parallel 

 with his, and so escaping the thrust ; he swung the lion on 

 his right completely off his legs, as you swing a child by his 

 arms. It was only by glimpses that you saw anything, for it 

 was an enfolding cloud of dust, out of which came every now 

 and again the black hide of the bull and the fulvous coats of 

 the lions. Every muscle of the attackers and attacked was on 

 the stretch. You felt rather than saw the terrible strain. Had 

 the buffalo been unwounded, even with the odds of three to 

 one against him, he would have left his mark. It did not last 

 much more than a minute perhaps not even that and then 

 the grand, old ' Naari ' came to the ground, killed by the ball, 

 not by the lions. 



The one of these which had attacked on the right came 

 round to his fellows, and they all three stood with their fore 



