44 THE SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF 



concussion and the subsequent violent spring of the 

 horse caused me to lose my seat, and simultaneously 

 I saw a second lion rushing up from the opposite 

 direction. I absolutely fell into his jaws, and believe 

 that he had me before I ever touched the ground. 

 I imagine that these lions were after the horse in 

 the first instance, there being no known man-eaters 

 in the district, but finding me so easy a prey this 

 gentleman decided to accept what Providence offered 

 to him. The next thing I recollect was being 

 dragged along the path on my back, my right arm 

 and shoulder in the lion's mouth, my body and 

 legs underneath his belly, while his fore paws kept 

 trampling on me as he trotted along, lacerating the 

 fronts of my thighs considerably and tearing my 

 trousers into shreds. 



I had, of course, dropped my rifle, which I was 

 accustomed to carry in a bucket in mounted infantry 

 fashion. All the time he was dragging me along 

 the lion kept up a sort of growling purr something 

 like a hungry cat does when she catches a bird or 

 mouse, and is anticipating a welcome meal. 



My spurs kept dragging and catching in the 

 ground till at last the leather broke. I cannot say 

 that my feelings at this time were at all in accord 

 with those of Dr. Livingstone, who, in his book, if 

 I am not mistaken, expresses his feelings as those 

 of dreamy repose, with no sense of pain ; I, on the 

 other hand, suffered extremely in that respect, while 

 I hope I may never have again to undergo such 

 agony of mind as I then experienced ; it seemed 

 hard to die like that, and yet I could see no 



