xvin LIONS ON THE ATHI PLAINS 201 



Worse was still to follow, for to our dismay both 

 made a most determined charge on us, bounding along 

 at a great pace and roaring angrily as they came. 

 Poor Mahina cried out, "Sahib, do sher ata hai /" 

 (" Master, two lions are coming ! "), but I told him 

 to stand stock-still and for his life not to make the 

 slightest movement. In the twinkling of an eye the 

 two beasts had covered about forty yards of the dis- 

 tance towards us. As they did not show the least sign 

 of stopping, I thought we had given the experiment 

 of remaining absolutely motionless a fair trial, and 

 was just about to raise the rifle to my shoulder as a 

 last resort, when suddenly the wounded lion 

 stopped, staggered, and fell to the ground. The 

 lioness took a couple of bounds nearer to us, 

 and then to my unmeasured relief turned to look 

 round for her mate, who had by this time managed 

 to get to his feet again. There they both stood, 

 growling viciously and lashing their tails, for what 

 appeared to me to be a succession of ages. The 

 lioness then made up her mind to go back to the 

 lion, and they both stood broadside on, with their 

 heads close together and turned towards us, snarling 

 in a most aggressive manner. Had either of us 

 moved hand or foot just then, it would, I am 

 convinced, have at once brought on another and 

 probably a fatal charge. 



As the two great brutes stood in this position 



