200 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 
kept his head full on us. When I had described 
a half-circle, I found that the grass was no thinner 
and that my chances of a shot had not improved. 
We were now within seventy yards of the lion, 
who appeared to take the greater interest in 
us the closer we approached. He had lost the 
sleepy look with which he had at first regarded 
us, and was now fully on the alert; but still he 
did not give me the impression that he meant 
to charge, and no doubt if we had not provoked 
him, he would have allowed us to depart in peace. 
I, however, was bent on war, in spite of the risk 
which one must always run by attacking a lion 
at such close quarters on an open plain as flat as 
the palm of the hand; so in a standing position 
l took careful. aim’ “at his head; and => ficeds. = fie 
distance was, as I have said, a bare seventy yards ; 
yet I must confess to a disgraceful miss. More 
astonishing still, the beast made not the slightest 
movement—did not even blink an eye, so far as 
I could see—but continued his steadfast, questioning 
gaze. Again I took aim, this time for a spot below 
the tip of his nose, and again I fired—with more 
success, the lion turning a complete somersault over 
his tail. I thought he was done for, but he 
instantly sprang to his feet again, and to my horror 
and astonishment was joined by a lioness whose 
presence we had never even thought of or suspected. 
