THE PAMPAS. 



105 



which a man sincerely assured me had happened to 

 him in South America. 



He was trying to shoot some wild ducks, and, in 

 order to approach them unperceived, he put the 

 corner of his poncho (which is a sort of long narrow 

 blanket) over his head, and crawling along the 

 ground upon his hands and knees, the poncho not 

 only covered his body, but trailed along the ground 

 behind him. As he was thus creeping by a large 

 bush of reeds, he heard a loud sudden noise, be- 

 tween a bark and roar : he felt something heavy 

 strike his feet, and instantly jumping up, he saw, 

 to his astonishment, a large male lion actually 

 standing on his poncho, and perhaps the animal 

 was equally astonished to find himself in the im- 

 mediate presence of so athletic a man ! 



The man told me he was unwilling to fire, as his 

 gun w^as loaded with very small shot, and he there- 

 fore stood his ground, and the lion stood on his 

 poncho for many seconds ; at last he turned his 

 head, and w^alking very slowly away about ten 

 yards, he stopped and turned again. The man 

 still stood his ground, upon which the lion tacitly 

 acknowledged his supremacy, and walked off. 



