THE LION. 223 



remained in the thick cover on the steep banks of the river, to 

 which we then returned, and in passing over a narrow plain, a 

 spot of ground was pointed out to us, by an eye-witness, where 

 he had been seen to seize and devour a quagga some days 

 before. The hard and arid soil was actually hollowed by the 

 violence of the mortal struggle. The dogs had scarcely entered 

 the thick bushy banks of the river ere they gave tongue, and 

 they appeared to advance in the pursuit, as if the lion was slowly 

 retreating. At times it would seem that he turned and rushed 

 upon the dogs. We, however, could not dare to enter further 

 than the skirts of the jungle, with a finger on the trigger and 

 the carbine half at the present. One single clutch of his tre- 

 mendous paw unquestionably would have been fatal. For a 

 considerable time the dogs remained silent, and we fancied we 

 had irrecoverably lost him. With more and more confidence 

 we examined the thicket, but without success, and were about 

 giving up the pursuit in despair, when a Hottentot and Boor 

 observed his footsteps in the sand. The word was again to horse. 

 The lion's course appeared to be towards the mountain which 

 we had left. R , with a party of Boors and soldiers, gal- 

 loped straight up the nearest acclivity, while I, with a smaller 

 number, rode round a projecting edge of the hill, into a deep 

 ravine, to which he might have retreated. With my party I 

 had been too late : he had been just brought to bay, as he was 

 commencing his descent on the opposite declivity of the hill, but 



R delayed the attack until we should arrive to witness the 



encounter ; meanwhile the dogs amused him. The ascent by 

 which we could reach the summit was steep and rugged, but our 

 horses were accustomed to such, and with whip and spur we 

 urged them on. Whoever has seen the African lion at bay, 

 would assuredly say the sportsman could never behold a more 

 stirring scene in the chase. There he was, seated on his hind 

 quarters, his eye glaring on a swarm of curs yelping around 

 him ; his dark shaggy mane he shook around his gigantic 

 shoulders, or with his paw tossed in the air the nearest dog, 

 more apparently in sport than anger. We arranged preli- 



