274 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



managed, however, to put a bullet into the one I 

 had marked just as he crested a bank, and he 

 looked very grand as he reared up against the 

 sky and clawed the air on feeling the lead. For a 

 second or two he gave me the impression that he 

 was about to charge ; but luckily he changed his 

 mind and followed his companion, who had so far 

 escaped scot free. I immediately mounted " Blaze- 

 away " and galloped off in hot pursuit, and after 

 about half a mile of very stiff going got up with 

 them once more. Finding now that they could not 

 get away, they halted, came to bay and then 

 charged down upon me, the wounded lion leading. 

 I had left my rifle behind, so all I could do was to 

 turn and fly as fast as " Blazeaway " could go, 

 praying inwardly the while that he would not put 

 his foot into a hole. When the lions saw that they 

 were unable to overtake me, they gave up the chase 

 and lay down again, the wounded one being about 

 two hundred yards in front of the other. At once 

 I pulled up too, and then went back a little way, 

 keeping a careful eye upon them ; and I continued 

 these tactics of riding up and down at a respectful 

 distance until Spooner came up with the rifles, when 

 we renewed the attack. 



As a first measure I thought it advisable to dis- 

 able the unhurt lion if possible, and, still using the 

 303, I got him with the second shot at a range of 



