ENCOUNTER WITH A LIONESS. 183 



suraed a ghastly paleness, and I had a painful feeling 

 that I could place no reliance on them. 



Now, then, for it, neck or nothing ! She is within 

 sixty yards of uSj and she keeps advancing. We turn- 

 ed the horses' tails to her. I knelt on one side, and, 

 taking a steady aim at her breast, let fly. The ball 

 cracked loudly on her tawny hide, and crippled her in 

 the shoulder, upon which she charged with an appalling 

 roar, and in the twinkling of an eye she was in the 

 midst of us. At this moment Stofolus's rifle exploded 

 in his hand, and Kleinboy, whom I had ordered to stand 

 ready by me, danced about like a duck in a gale of 

 wind. The lioness sprang upon Colesberg, and fear- 

 fully lacerated his ribs and haunches with her horrid 

 teeth and claws ; the worst wound was on his haunch, 

 which exhibited a sickening, yawning gash, more than 

 twelve inches long, almost laying bare the very bone. 

 I was very cool and steady, and did not feel in the least 

 degree nervous, having fortunately great confidence in 

 my own shooting ; but I must confess, when the whole 

 affair was over, I felt that it was a very awful situa- 

 tion, and attended with extreme peril, as I had no 

 friend with me on whom I could rely. 



When the lioness sprang on Colesberg, I stood out 

 from the horses, ready vrith my second barrel for the 

 first chance she should give me of a clear shot. This 

 she quickly did ; for, seemmgly satisfied with the re- 

 venge she had now taken, she quitted Colesberg, and, 

 slewing her tail to one side, trotted sulkily past within 

 a few paces of me, taking one step to the left. I pitch- 

 ed my rifle to my shoulder, and in another second the 

 honess was stretched on the plain a lifeless corpse. In 

 the struggles of death she half turned on her back, and 

 stretched her neck and fore arms convulsively, when 



