THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIRE. 



45 



Part of a chance, not the slightest loophole of 

 escape. 



Suddenly, like a flash, I thought of my sheath- 

 knife : I always carried it in my belt behind my right 

 hip, and on most other occasions when I had a fall it 

 had fallen out : was it still there ? The lion holding 

 me by the right shoulder, I was obliged to reach 

 round and underneath me in order to get at it ; it 

 took a long time, as it must be remembered that 

 I was being dragged and trotted on by my captor 

 all the time, but at last I managed it. How I held 

 on to that knife ! It was only an ordinary 3-inch 

 blade of soft steel, such as one buys cheap at any 

 u p-country store, but it meant all the world to me 

 then. I now no longer thought of death or any- 

 thing else ; all my mind and energy were concen- 

 trated on not letting go my one last road of escape. 

 After dragging me nearly 200 yards, the lion 

 stopped under a big forked tree, with large roots ; 

 as he did so I felt for where I judged his heart to 

 °e, and struck him behind the shoulder — one, two — 

 w ith the energy of despair, using, of course, my 

 left hand. He dropped me at the first stab, but 

 still stood above me growling, and I then struck 

 him a third time in the throat with all the force of 

 which I was capable, severing some large vein or 

 a rtery, as the blood deluged me ; on receiving this 

 W stab, my adversary sprang away and stood 

 facing me two or three yards off, still growling ; I 

 scrambled to my feet, and so we stood opposite to 

 °ne another ; I fully expected him to attack me 

 a gain, and recalling what I had often read about 



