xxiv BHOOTA'S LAST SHIK4R 279 



mauled, the latter being broken as well. He was 

 lifted tenderly into the tonga how thankful we now 

 were to have it with us ! and Spooner at once set 

 off with him to camp and the doctor. 



Before following them home I made a hasty 

 examination of the dead lion and found him to be a 

 very good specimen in every way. I was particularly 

 satisfied to see that one of the two shots I had fired 

 as he charged down upon me had taken effect. 

 The bullet had entered below the right eye, and 

 only just missed the brain. Unfortunately it was a 

 steel one which Spooner had unluckily brought in 

 his ammunition bag by mistake ; still one would 

 have thought that a shot of this kind, even with a 

 hard bullet, would at least have checked the lion for 

 the moment. As a matter of fact, however, it went 

 clean through him without having the slightest 

 stopping effect. My last bullet, which was of soft 



* 



lead, had entered close to the right eye and 

 embedded itself in the brain. By this time it had 

 grown almost dark, so I left the two dead lions where 

 they lay and rode for camp, which I was lucky 

 enough to reach without further adventure or 

 mishap. I may mention here that early next 

 morning two other lions were found devouring the 

 one we had first shot ; but they had not had time to 

 do much damage, and the head, which I have had 

 mounted, makes a very fine trophy indeed. The 

 lion that mauled Bhoota was untouched. 



