296 THE LION KILLER. 



I was all ready for his coming, and the moon was shining 

 brightly from between the trees, so that we had scarcely laid 

 eyes on each other, before a ball struck him directly in the 

 forehead. With the explosion of my gun the lion sprang at 

 me with a roar, T felt a sudden shock at my shoulder, his 

 breast struck the stone that was before me, and before I could 

 lire my second barrel, or do anything to save myself, I was 

 hurled to the ground. The next instant I found myself lying 

 on my side, with my legs pinned fast by the rock that had 

 rolled on me, while the lion, stunned by the blow he had 

 received, was lying at my side, but so near that I could not 

 use my gun. 



I seized my poniard, that lay under my hand, having been 

 placed there beforehand, according to custom, and struck the 

 animal a heavy blow in the temple. 



He immediately rose to his feet, and without seeing me, 

 walked over my body, reeling like a drunken man, and took 

 refuge in the wood, carrying with him two inches of the blade 

 of my dagger. 



Thus I escaped with a few bruises, from an encounter that 

 I should think was the most dangerous that I had ever expe- 

 rienced, and I can verily say, that my escape was most pro- 

 vidential, and an event I little expected when I first found 

 myself lying side by side with the monstrous brute. 



In fact, if the lion had not been so stunned by the concus- 

 sion of my ball, which had struck him in the middle of his 

 forehead, or if I had not been preserved from his first charge, 

 by the stone that covered my body, or had he not, after I 

 struck him with my poniard, lost all his wits, so as to have 

 no idea whatever of my presence, I would, most certainly, in 

 either event, have been torn to pieces, without a moment for 

 thought. 



This lion was one of the finest that I had ever had a 

 chance of shooting. The only reason why his skin never 



