284 THE LION KILLER. 



upon my foe while he should still be in the water, trusting 

 to the height of the bank to save me from his first" attack, 

 when from the other side of the brook, and a half mile up 

 the hill, I heard the heavy moaning that precedes the lion's 

 roar, and then his full-toned voice belched forth its detonations 

 until the black night was tremulous with the sound. 



When the roar ceased, I took my position to fire, and 

 allowing time enough for him to come from the' spot where 

 I had last heard him roar, I awaited his coming with my 

 elbow on my knee and my gun at my shoulder. Minute 

 after minute stole away, and the time began to appear long, 

 with nothing but the sense of hearing to inform me of the 

 approach of the foe. 



Suddenly, from the other bank of the brook, and directly 

 opposite to where I w r as sitting, came a deep guttural sigh, 

 ending in a lon^ moan, that sounded like the death-rattle in 

 a man's throat. I had never heard such a sound before. I 

 looked in that direction, and saw fastened on me, like two 

 burning coals, the eyes of the lion. The fixed stare of his 

 look, which seemed to cast a dim effulgence without showing 

 anything around, not even the head of the beast, sent all the 

 blood in my veins back to my heart. One minute before I 

 w r as trembling with cold, now the perspiration stood on my 

 forehead in large drops. 



The desolate place and dim presence moved me in spite of 

 myself, and I was more affected by my utter helplessness than 

 by the fierce spirit of my foe, for all the while it seemed as if 

 the lion said, / see you there, and all the while / could see 

 nothing but the impalpable night and the intangible phospho- 

 rescence of his gaze. But this supernatural dread vanished 

 like the phantoms of sleep, and when the eyes disappeared^ 

 and I heard the lion walk down towards the brook. The 

 prospect of action brought me back to life, and I became 

 perfectly impassible, no matter what might happen. 



A pause, and I heard the lion in the water, which splashed 



