18 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



to proceed with the patrol, while he himself made a 

 detour in hopes of coming across the lioness. 



He had not gone far when the latter suddenly appeared 

 from a clump of bush by the roadside, and crouched 

 preparatory to springing. The horse refused to budge, 

 whereupon the man fired from its back, breaking the 

 lioness's shoulder. She immediately charged, and pulled 

 Eagle from his saddle. He managed to maintain an 

 upright position, and, being an exceptionally powerful 

 man, grappled with the animal, grasping her by the 

 throat with one hand, and kicking her with his heavy 

 boots as she reared upon her hind legs. The lioness, 

 for her part, was holding the man's other hand and 

 wrist in her mouth, while her one available paw 

 was over his shoulder, the claws tearing his back. Eagle 

 was unable to say how long this remarkable struggle 

 lasted ; but the upshot of it was that the lioness, her 

 severe wound beginning to tell, suddenly let go of him, 

 and, going away a short distance, lay down. He then 

 attempted to reach for his carbine, but found himself 

 unable to do so, and then noticed for the first time that 

 his right hand and arm were terribly mauled. Up 

 to this moment he had felt no pain at all ; but he now 

 collapsed and fell to the ground, where he lay for some 

 time until assistance happened to arrive, when the lioness 

 was dispatched without further trouble. Eagle was 

 taken down country on the Boer wagon, but, it being 

 three days before his wounds could be properly treated, he 

 died of blood poisoning shortly after his arrival in hospital. 



There is no doubt that each troop or family party of 

 lions keeps more or less to a certain district, which it 

 patrols in a very regular manner. During eight years 

 spent at Sabi Bridge considerable opportunities for 

 observation in this respect have offered themselves. 



