172 After Big Game in Central Africa 



and, without changing their position, look fixedly in 

 our direction with blinking eyes. . . . Unfortunately, 

 my projector is not well adjusted : the line of sight 

 of the electric sights, similar to two small pieces of 

 burning coal, does not accord with the centre of the 

 patch of light : thus I am aiming at the neck, and the 

 part illuminated is the stomach. . . . We experience 

 a second of anguish ! . . . What is to be done ? Put 

 out the light ? Impossible ! Let us try to aim by 

 guessing . . . and I pull the trigger 1 .... A snarl 

 answers to the rifle shot, and, with intermittent roars 

 in my ears, I see a lion in the midst of the smoke and 

 the diffused light roll over, suddenly rise, and try to 

 climb the gentle slope of the pool. Again I fire, but 

 badly ; he manages to climb up, and disappears 

 in the darkness. . . . By moving my projector I try 

 to see over there, but with the exception of a few 

 bushes nothing is visible. The lion continues to 

 growl at a short distance. ... I put out the light, 

 and with beating hearts anxiously we keep our ears 

 on the stretch, our eyes having become useless. . . . 

 There is a roar of pain . . . then another quite near 

 behind us. W T e listen attentively with fingers on the 

 triggers of our rifles. ... Is it by chance turning 

 round towards us ? ... No. . . . An hour passes. 

 We hear still another feebler groan, but almost 

 at the same spot. . . . How fortunate the animal 

 is still there ! ... It is, therefore, unable to 

 escape ! . . . 



You may imagine, as I am not yet thinking of 

 committing suicide, that I am careful not to move. 



