92 THE LION OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



" Being down below on the plain with a native 

 schoolmaster, named Mebalwe, a most excellent man, 

 I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within 

 the now closed circle of men. Mebalwe fired at him 

 before I could, and the ball struck the rock on which 

 the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as 

 a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him ; then 

 leaping away, broke through the opening circle and 

 escaped unhurt. The men were afraid to attack him, 

 perhaps on account of their belief in witchcraft. 

 When the circle was reformed, we saw two other lions 

 in it, but we were afraid to fire lest we should strike 

 the men ; and they allowed these beasts to burst 

 through also. If the Bakatla had acted according to 

 the custom of the country, they would have speared 

 the lions in their attempt to get out. Seeing we could 

 not get them to kill one of the lions, we bent our 

 footsteps towards the village. In going round the end 

 of the hill, however, I saw one of the beasts sitting on 

 a piece of rock as before, but this time he had a little 

 bush in front. Being about forty yards off, I took a 

 good aim at his body through the bush, and fired both 

 barrels into it. The men then called out, ' He is shot ! 

 he is shot ! ' others cried, ' He has been shot by another 

 man too ; let us go to him ! ' I did not see any ono 

 else shoot at him, but I saw the lion's tail erected in 

 anger behind the bush, and turning to the people, said, 



