18 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



to get my good little pony to keep steady. He 

 behaved wonderfully, but when I put my rifle up to 

 fire I could not get a steady aim as he was 

 blowing too much. All this happened in a few 

 seconds, and I can't really say whether the lioness 

 charged first or whether I fired first. I only know 

 that I fired, and that she was then on top of 

 me. She did not spring at first, but came flat 

 along the ground and then rose up as quick as 

 lightning. She put her left claw under the pony's 

 neck and seized his right shoulder with it. With her 

 right claw she tore a piece out of my legging 

 and then caught the pony by the right shoulder 

 while she mauled him on the same shoulder with 

 her teeth. 



My rifle was a magazine, and as quickly as possible 

 I loaded again and shoved the barrel into her right 

 shoulder with one hand and fired. She then fell off 

 and rolled about six yards and lay quietly growling. 

 I then dismounted and gave her her quietus. Poor 

 little No. 2, very frightened and subdued, and 

 Mosueu, who had watched the whole performance 

 not very far behind, then came up, and it warmed 

 my heart to see how genuinely pleased they were at 

 my lucky escape. 



I think this was rather an interesting experience 

 as showing that sometimes lions do charge without 

 being wounded. In this case, of course, the lioness 

 was very angry at being constantly disturbed during 

 the heat of the day when she wanted to sleep, and 

 having cubs made her doubly savage. 



My pony was badly mauled, and the brute's big 

 front teeth and claws had gone very deep into his 



