THE HOTTEXTOT AND THE LION. 449 



up one of the tree-aloes, in the trunk of which a few steps had 

 luckily been cut out to come at some birds' nests that the 

 branches contained. At the same moment the lion made a 

 spring at him, but missing his aim, fell upon the ground. In 

 surly silence he walked round the tree, casting at times a dread- 

 ful look towards the poor Hottentot, who screened himself from 

 his sight behind the branches. Having remained silent and 

 motionless for a length of time, he at length ventured to 

 peep, hoping that the lion had taken his departure, when to 

 his great terror and astonishment, his eyes met those of the 

 animal, which, as the poor fellow afterwards expressed himself, 

 flashed fire at him. In short, the lion laid himself down at 

 the foot of the tree, and did not remove from the place for 

 twenty-four hours. At the end of this time, becoming parched 

 with thirst, he went to a spring at some distance in order to 

 drink. The Hottentot now, with trepidation, ventured to 

 descend, and scampered off home as fast as his feet could 

 carry him. 



On account as well of the devastation which he causes 

 among the herds as of the pleasure of the chase, the lion is 

 pursued and killed in North and in South Africa wherever he 

 appears : a state of war which, as may well be supposed, is not 

 without danger for the aggressive party. Thus, Andersson 

 once fired upon a black-maned lion, one of the largest he ever 

 encountered in Africa. Eoused to fury by the slight wound he 

 had received, the brute rapidly wheeled, rushed upon him with 

 a dreadful roar, and at the distance of a few paces, couched as 

 if about to spring, having his head imbedded, so to say, 

 between his fore paws. Drawing a large hunting-knife, and 

 slipping it over the wrist of his right hand, Andersson dropped 

 on one knee, and thus prepared, awaited the onset of the lion. 

 It was an awful moment of suspense, and his situation was 

 critical in the extreme. Still his presence of mind (a most 

 indispensable quality in a South African hunter) never for a 

 moment forsook him ; indeed, he felt that nothing but the 

 most perfect coolness and absolute self-command would be of 

 any avail. He would now have become the assailant ; but as, 

 owing to the intervening brushes and clouds of dust raised by 

 the lion's lashing his tail against the ground, he was unable to 

 see his head, while to aim at any other part would have been 



