286 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



giving way instead of spearing him, owing to their fear of 

 witchcraft. 



When the circle was .reformed and advanced, two more lions 

 were found within it, but these also escaped without injury. The 

 cowardly action of :he Cakatla so disgusted Livingstone that he 

 decided to hunt the lions on his own account, though a number 

 of the more courageous natives followed him. They were not 

 long in discovering another lion sitting on a rock not more than 

 thirty yards distant $ Livingstone aimed at the body and fired 

 both barrels, at which the natives cried out, " He is shot ! he is 

 shot!" and were making toward it vhilc Livingstone stood to 

 reload his gun. When in the act of ramming down the bullet, 

 a shout attracted his attention just as the lion sprang upon him, 

 catching his shoulder and bearing him to the ground. With a 

 horrible growl the lion seized him by the arm, crunching the 

 bone and shaking him like a terrier dog does a rat. Of the 

 immediate effect of the bite Livingstone writes : 



"The shock produced n stupor similar to that which seems to 

 be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a 

 sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor 

 feeling of terror, though quite conscious of all that was happen- 

 ing. It was like what patients partially under the influence of 

 chloroform describe, who see all the operation but feel not the 

 knife. This singular condition was not the result of any mental 

 process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of 

 horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is 

 probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora ; and if 

 so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening 

 the pain of death." 



As he turned to relieve the weight of the animal's paw, 

 which rested upon his head, he saw one of the men of his 

 party trying to shoot at a distance of ten yards, but his 

 gun missed fire. At the same instant a dog belonging to 

 one of the natives rushed in and bit the lion on the leg, which 



o' 



attracted his attention away from Livingstone, but he imme- 

 diately sprang upon a native named Mebalwe, and dreadfully 



