TEE LION'S RUNNING POWERS. 21 



choked with dirt. I then made for the wagon, and got on the box, where I found all the Kaffirs, 

 who could not get inside, sticking like Monkeys, and Diza perched on the top. How he got there 

 seemed to me a miracle, as he was alongside me when the brute charged. A minute or two afterwards 

 one of them marched off a Goat, one of five that were tethered by the foot to the hut that we had so 

 speedily evacuated. 



" Diza, thinking he had a chance, fired from the top of the wagon, and the recoil knocked him 

 backwards on to the tent, which broke his fall. It was a must ludicrous sight altogether. After that 

 we were utterly defeated, and the brutes were allowed to eat their meal unmolested, which they 

 continued to do for some time, growling fiercely all the while. The Kaffirs said there were five in all. 

 I fired once again, but without effect ; and we all sat shivering with cold without any clothes on till 

 near daybreak, when our enemies beat a retreat, and I was not sorry to turn in again between the 

 blankets. I was just beginning to get warm again when I was aroused by a double shot, and rushed 

 out on hearing that the driver and after- rider had shot the Lion. "We went to the spot, and found a 

 fine Lioness dead, with a bullet through the ribs from the after-rider ; a good shot, as she was at least 

 150 yards off. Another had entered the neck just behind the head, and travelled all along the spine 

 nearly to the root of the tail. I claimed the shot, and forthwith proceeded to skin her. I cut out the 

 ball ; it proved to be my shot out of Clifton's rifle. This accounted for her ferocious onslaught. The 

 after-rider was rather chopf alien at having to give her up to the rightful owner. 



" Diza got a claw in his thigh, and the gun which he had in his hand was frightfully scratched on 

 the stock : rather sharp practice. A strong-nerved old Kaffir woman lay in the hut the whole time, 

 without a door or anything whatever between her and the Lions, and kept as still as a Mouse all the 

 while." 



Again : " The enemy disdainfully surveyed us for several minutes, daring us to approach with an 

 air of conscious power and pride, which well beseemed his grizzled form. As the rifle balls struck the 

 ground nearer and nearer at each discharge, his wrath, as indicated by his glistening eyes, increased 

 roar, and impatient switching of the tail, was clearly getting the mastery over his prudence. 

 Presently a shot broke his leg. Down he came upon the other three with reckless impetuosity, his 

 tail straight out and whirling on its axis, his mane bristling on end, and his eyeballs flashing rage and 

 vengeance. Unable, however, to overtake our Horses, he shortly retreated under a heavy fire, limping 

 and discomfited to his stronghold. Again we bombarded him, and again exasperated he rushed into 

 the plain with headlong fury, the blood now streaming from his open jaws, and dyeing his mane with 

 crimson. It was a gallant charge, but it was to be his last. A well-directed shot arresting him in 

 full career he pitched with violence upon his skull, and throwing a complete somersault, subsided- 

 amid a cloud of dust." 



The Lion has some excuse for occasionally developing a strong running away propensity. Hi 

 pace when going at full speed is wonderfully rapid, considering the length of his legs. As the 

 following extract shows, he is able to outrun a firstrate Horse, so that the animals on which he usually 

 feeds would, if he chose to pursue them, have simply no chance whatever against him. As we shall 

 see, however, the Lion seldom pursues his prey, preferring to lie in ambush and to spring upon a passing 

 herd. This consideration makes the following experience rather remarkable. The Lion probably 

 pursued Mr. Baldwin not to satisfy appetite, but for revenge. 



" Now for an adventure with a Lion, which I have reserved for the last. On Friday the old 

 Masara captain paid me a visit. He had seen a Lion in the path, and left a lot of Masaras to watch 

 him. I had been working hard all day in the hot sun with an adze, making a dissel-boom for the 

 wagon, and was tired, lame, and shaky in the arms, and did not feel at all up to the mark for rifle- 

 shooting ; but I ordered ' Ferns ' to be saddled, who was also not at all fresh, having had a tremendous 

 burst in the morning across a flat after a lean Eland Cow. Just after, I caught sight of about twenty- 

 five Masaras sitting down, all armed to the teeth with shields and assegais. My attention was 

 attracted to a Kaffir skull, which struck me as a bad omen, and the thought entered my head that it 

 might be my fate to lay mine to bleach there. I did not, however, suffer this thought to unnerve me, 

 but proceeded, and found that the Lion had decamped. The Masaras followed his spoor about 

 a couple of miles, when he broke covei*. I did not see him at first, but gave chase in the direction in 

 which the Masaras pointed, saw him, and followed for about 1,000 yards, as he had a long start, when 



