ADVENTURES WITH LIONS. 587 
heed her hostile demonstrations, she quietly stretched out 
her massive arms, and lay down 6n the grass. My Hottentots 
now coming up, we all three dismounted, and, drawing our 
rifles from their holsters, we looked to see if the powder was 
up in the nipples, and put on our caps. While this was 
doing the lioness sat up, and showed evident symptoms of 
uneasiness. She looked first at us, and then behind her, as 
if to see if the coast were clear; after which she made a 
short run towards us, uttering her deep-drawn, murderous 
growls. Having secured the three horses to one another by 
their rheims, we led them on as if we intended to pass her, 
in the hope of obtaining a broadside. But this she carefully 
avoided to expose, presenting only her full front. I had 
given Stofolus’ my Moore rifle, with orders to shoot her if 
she should spring upon me, but on no account to fire before 
me. Kleinboy was to stand ready to hand me my Purdey 
rifle, in case the two-grooved Dixon should not prove sufficient. 
My men as yet had been steady, but they were in a precious 
stew, their faces having assumed 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 us, and she keeps advancing. We turned 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 Colesburg, and fearfully 
lacorated 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 
