22 SPORT TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



to spring upon her; but just at that moment the 

 lioness, which had crept up behind her, sprang out., 

 and with one terrible stroke of the forepaw killed her 

 where she stood, and then carried her off into the 

 thicket. As soon as I heard this story I started 

 off with a couple of my boys to hunt the lion; 

 but although I spent the whole day searching never 

 a lion did I see. The mangled remains of the 

 poor woman we discovered, but the lions avoided us. 

 However, a few days later a party of native hunters, 

 returning from their day's hunt after small antelope, 

 were attacked by the same lions. Walking in single 

 file through the long grass on the narrow path, the 

 man at the end of the line was suddenly seized from 

 behind by the lioness and instantly killed and carried 

 off. The rest of the party made off with all haste, 

 excepting one little boy, the son of the man killed, 

 and he, amazingly plucky little fellow that he is, 

 actually turned back, and, armed with nothing but a 

 small spear, followed the blood-stained track through 

 the thicket. After a little while he came upon the 

 lioness in the act of devouring his father. Without 

 a moment's hesitation this brave little chap rushed 

 at the huge beast, and the lioness, becoming aware 

 of his approach, left the prey and sprang upon the 

 boy. By a merciful Providence the spear which the 

 boy carried entered its breast, and by the animal's 

 own weight was forced right into its body, piercing 

 the heart, and the great creature rolled over stone 

 dead. The boy was utterly unharmed. Rapidly 

 withdrawing his little weapon, he went and knelt by 

 the mangled remains of his father, and while bending 

 over him in his sorrow the male lion came roaring 



