586 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



they pressed their heels to their horses' sides, and were 

 preparing to betake themselves to flight. I asked them 

 what they were going to do. To which they answered, 

 "Wo have not yet placed caps on our rifles." This was 

 true; but while this short conversation was passing, the 

 lioness had obs-erved us. Kaising her full, round face, she 

 overhauled us for a few seconds, and then set off at a smart 

 canter towards a range of mountains some miles to the north- 

 ward ; the whole troop of jackals also started off in another 

 direction ; there was, therefore, no time to think of caps. 

 The first move was to bring her to bay, and not a second 

 was to be lost. Spurring my good and lively steed, and 

 shouting to my men to follow, I flew across the plain, and, 

 being fortunately mounted on Colesburg, the flower of my 

 stud, I gained upon her at every stride. This was to me a 

 joyful moment, and I at once made up my mind that she or 

 I must die. 



The lioness having had a long start of me, we went over 

 a considerable extent of ground before I came up with her. 

 She was a large, full-grown beast, and the bare and level 

 nature of the plain added to her imposing appearance. 

 Finding that I gained upon her, she reduced her pace from 

 a canter to a trot, carrying her tail stuck out behind her, 

 and slewed a little to one side. I shouted loudly to her to 

 halt, as I wished to speak with her, upon which she suddenly 

 pulled up, and sat on her haunches like a dog, with her 

 back towards me, not even deigning to look round. She 

 then appeared to say to herself, "Does this fellow know who 

 he is after?" Having thus sat for half a minute, as if 

 involved in thought, she sprang to her feet, and, facing 

 about, stood looking at me for a few seconds, moving her 

 tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth, and growling 

 fiercely. She next made a short run forward, making a 

 loud, rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate 

 me; but, finding that I did not flinch an inch nor seem to 



