The Lion 109 



and it was in consequence imagined that the man must 

 be mistaken. But as he persisted in his story, it was 

 determined to fire a shot into the thicket, which was 

 accordingly done, though without any result. 



"When a lion, that has been wounded and hotly pur- 

 sued, has 'lain up/ or hidden himself, for a time, his posi- 

 tion is generally known by his roaring, panting, or hard 

 breathing ; but in this instance there were no indications 

 of the kind, which, coupled with the shot having failed of 

 effect, confirmed their previous impression, and they were, 

 therefore, on the point of moving off elsewhere. 



"But as the marker continued asseverating from his 

 tree that the brute was positively lying in the very brake 

 near which they were standing, it was resolved to try 

 another shot, which was fired by Captain Harris' man, 

 who was seated at the back of his master's howdah. 



" This had the desired effect, for the gun was hardly 

 discharged, when the lion, with a tremendous roar, sprang 

 up from his lurking-place, and in a second was once more 

 on the head of Captain Harris' elephant. But he was 

 almost immediately shaken off, when he retreated to the 

 same brake from which he had issued, and where, as 

 before, he was no longer discernible. 



" A shot was therefore directed towards the spot where 

 he was supposed to be, and he again charged the Captain's 

 elephant, and on being dislodged trotted off towards the 

 patch that harbored him in the first instance. 



"During the metie just* described, Captain Delamaine, 

 from an apprehension of hitting some one, had been de- 

 terred from firing ; but as the lion was retreating he dis- 



