An Attack on the Lions. 7 
scaring off crows from an English cornfield. They are con- 
tinually referred to in a matter-of-fact way as refusing to go 
off, an event which happened to the guns of the whole expedi- 
tion during a night attack by a troop of lions on the draught 
oxen. None of the celebrated lion killers, though armed with 
the best weapons of large calibre, have evinced more courage 
and coolness than the man who marched across Africa with a 
Bible under his arm, and never took human life, as the following 
account of an attack on several lions amply proves: “In going 
round the end of the hill I saw a lion sitting on a piece of rock 
about thirty yards off, with a little bush in front of him. I took 
a good aim at him through the bush, and fired both barrels into 
it. The men called out, ‘He is shot! he is shot!’ Others 
cried, ‘He has been shot by another man, too—let us go to 
him.’ I saw the lion’s tail erected in anger, and, turning to 
the people, said, ‘Stop a little till I load again.’ When in the 
act of ramming down the bullets I heard a shout, and looking 
half-round, saw the lion in the act of springing on me. He 
caught me by the shoulder, and we both came to the ground 
together. Growling horribly, he shook me as a terrier dog 
does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that 
which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first grip of the 
cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess in which there was no 
sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though I was conscious 
of all that was happening. It was like what patients partially 
under the influence of chloroform describe; they see the 
operation, but do not feel the knife. This placidity is probably 
produced in all animals killed by the carnivora; and, if so, is 
a merciful provision of the Creator for lessening the pain of 
death. As he had one paw on the back of my head, I turned 
round to relieve myself of the weight, and saw his eyes 
directed to Mebalwe, who was aiming at him from a distance 
of twelve or fifteen yards. His gun, which was a flint one, 
missed fire in both barrels. The animal immediately left me 
to attack him, and bit his thigh. Another man, whose life I 
had saved after he had been tossed by a buffalo, attempted 
