264 LARGE GAME. chap. v. 



My two companions, hardly going through the form of 

 taking aim, pulled their triggers and joined those who had 

 already fired. Fortunately he could not spring with a 

 broken fore-leg, and though he looked most unutterably 

 savage he did not get over the ground very fast, so I 

 took a steady shot at the centre of his big chest, fully 

 expecting to see him tumble over, but you could not even 

 see that it had struck him ; and as he was getting very 

 near I didn't take a much better aim with my second 

 barrel than the two last hunters had, and, like them, 

 missed, turning as I did so, and running away for bare 

 life. I was surprised to see how the men behind had 

 diminished in numbers, but still there remained upwards 

 of a hundred, who so far showed no signs of flinching, 

 and I bolted in behind them and commenced to reload, 

 altering my position when once the powder was down, so 

 that I could see what was going on. 



The lion had charged up to within ten yards of them, 

 and then, no doubt awed by their steadiness, he had 

 pulled up, and was now walking slowly up and down like 

 an officer in command, growling and showing his teeth, 

 and looking a very noble animal with his heavy yellow 

 mane floating round him. Very likely he would have 

 remained like this until we had reloaded had not a young 

 fellow in the front rank flung his assagai, with an insulting 

 expression, at him, and as the spear-head entered he 

 made two bounds forward, singling out the unfortunate 

 man, who, however, met him pluckily, presenting him 

 with his great six-foot shield to tear at, while he stuck 

 him in the chest with his long and keen double-edged 

 stabbing spear ; as he did so, there was a sudden jerk, as 



