Three Lions before Breakfast 



back for the big bash. I accordingly ran as fast 

 as I <->ould to get into it first and give them a 

 warm reception. 



I had nearly judged the situation accurately, 

 but unfortunately one of the lions came back 

 sooner than I had anticipated, and I was still 

 some fifty yards from the bush, running some- 

 what out of breath, and with my rifle held at the 

 " trail/' when with a crash a huge lioness cantered 

 heavily through, saw me straight in her path, and 

 after being bothered by the horsemen, evidently 

 thought this the last straw, and lost her temper 

 completely. 



I saw in a flash a most awful expression of 

 rage come over her massive face as she suddenly 

 changed her pace, gave several coughing roars, 

 and came full at me, stretching along the ground 

 like a greyhound, in the midst of a whirl of sand. 



I threw up my rifle and fired without using 

 the sights, then slipped my finger on to the rear 

 trigger, ready, if necessary, to give her the second 

 barrel down the throat at close quarters ; but the 

 roars had given place to snarlings, the sand-cloud 

 rolled off, and there she was five yards and a half 

 off (subsequently paced), broadside on, with her 

 " near fore " in her mouth, worrying it ; the second 

 barrel was promptly brought to bear on her heart, 

 and at the report she rolled over stone dead. So 

 close had she come that I was covered with the 



125 



