xxii HOW ROSHAN KHAN SAVED MY LIFE 257 



Brock, who had been attracted to the place by the 

 sound of the firing. He was much astonished to 

 see my fine dead lion lying stretched out, and his 

 first remark was, " You are a lucky beggar ! " After- 

 wards, when he heard the full story of the adventure, 

 he rightly considered me even more lucky than he 

 had first thought. 



Our next business was to go back to the lioness 

 which I had first shot and left for dead. Like her 

 mate, however, she was still very much alive when 

 we reached her, so I stalked carefully up to a 

 neighbouring tree, from whose shelter I gave her 

 the finishing shot. We then left Mahina and the 

 other men to skin the two beasts, and went on to 

 the rushes where the second lioness had taken cover. 

 Here all our efforts to turn her out failed, so we 

 reluctantly abandoned the chase and were fated to 

 see no more lions that day. 



Our only other adventure was with a stolid old 

 rhino, who gave me rather a fright and induced Brock 

 to indulge in some lively exercise. Separated by 

 about a hundred yards or so, we were walking over 

 the undulating ground a short distance from the river, 

 when, on gaining the top of a gentle rise, I suddenly 

 came upon the ungainly animal as it lay wallowing 

 in a hollow. It jumped to its feet instantly and came 

 for where I stood, and as I had no wish to shoot it, 

 I made a dash for cover round the knoll. On reaching 



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