A NOBLE PAIR OF LIONS. 131 



reeds. 1 galloped forward to endeavor to get between 

 them and the reeds ; in this I succeeded. The lions, 

 imagining that we were some species of game, did not 

 attempt to retreat, but stood looking in wonder until I 

 was within fifty yards of them, and right between the 

 last lion and the reeds. I was struck with wonder and 

 admiration at the majestic and truly awful appear- 

 ance which these two noble old lions presented. 



They were both very large; the first, a "schwart 

 fore-life," or black-maned lion ; the last, which was the 

 finest and the oldest, a " chiell fore-life," or yellow- 

 maned lion. The black-maned lion, after looking at 

 me for half a minute, walked slowly forward and bound- 

 ed into the reeds ; the dark-brown lion would fain have 

 done the same, but I was now right between him and 

 his retreat. He seemed not at all to like my appear- 

 ance, but did not yet feel certain what I was, and, fancy- 

 ing that I had not observed him, he lay down in the long 

 grass. Ruyter now came up with my rifle. Having 

 loaded in the saddle, I waited a minute for all my dogs 

 to come up, they having gone off after the reitbuck, 

 and then rode slowly forward toward the lion, as if to 

 pass within twenty-five yards of him. Not one of the 

 dogs was yet aware of the lion, and they came on be- 

 hind my horse. 



This move on ray part lost me the lion, for by so 

 ^oing I laid open the ground of retreat between him 

 and the reeds ; and on coming within twenty or twenty- 

 five yards of him, and while in the act of reining in my 

 horse to fire, he took his eye off me, examined the 

 ground between him and the reeds, and, seeing the 

 coast clear, suddenly bounded forward, and, before I 

 could even dismount from my panic-stricken steed, was 

 at the edge of "the reeds, which he entered with a lofty 



