180 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



to make loose the dogs. These walked suspiciously 

 forward on the spoor, and next minute began to_spring 

 about, barking angrily, with all their hair bristling on 

 their backs : a crash upon the dry reeds immediately 

 followed — it was the lion bounding away. 



Several of the dogs were extremely afraid of him, 

 and kept rushing continually backward and springing 

 aloft to obtain a view. I now pressed forward and 

 urged them on ; old Argyll and Bles took up his spoor 

 in gallant style, and led on the other dogs. Then com- 

 menced a short but lively and glorious ~ chase, whose 

 conclusion was the only small satisfaction that I could 

 obtain to answer for the horrors of the preceding even- 

 ing. The lion held up the river's bank for a short dis- 

 tance, and took away through some wait-a-bit thorn 

 cover, the best he could find, but nevertheless open. 

 Here, in two miputes, the dogs were up with him, and 

 he turned and stood at bay. As I approached, he stood, 

 his horrid head right to me, with open jaws growling 

 fiercely, his tail waving from side to side. 



On beholding him my blood boiled with rage. I wish- 

 ed that I could take him alive and torture him, and, 

 setting ray teeth, I dashed my steed forward within 

 thirty yards of him and shouted, ^^Your time is up, old 

 fellow." I halted my horse, and, placing my rifle to 

 my shoulder, waited for a broadside. This the next 

 moment he exposed, when I sent a bullet through his 

 shoulder and dropped him on the spot. He rose, how- 

 ever, again, when I finished him with a second in the 

 breast. The Bakalahari now came up in wonder and 

 delight. I ordered John to cut off his head and fore- 

 paws and bring them to the wagons, and, mounting my 

 horse, galloped home, having been absent about fifteen 

 minutes. When the Bakalahari women heard that the 



