A LION-ENCOUNTER. 
13 
he had a little bush in fVont. Being about thirty yards off, 
I took a good aim at his body through the bush, and fired 
both barrels into it. The men then called out, “lie is shot! 
ho is shot!” Others cried, “He has' been shot by anothei 
man too ; lot us go to him !” I did not see any one else 
shoot at him, but I saw the lion’s tail erected in anger be- 
hind tho bush, and, turning to the people, said, “Stop a 
little, till I load again.” When in tho act of ramming 
down tho bullets, I heard a shout. Starting, and looking 
half round, I saw tho lion just in the act of springing upon 
mo. I was upon a little height; ho caught my shoulder as 
he sprang, and we both came to tho ground below together. 
Growling horribly close to my car, ho shook mo as a terrioi 
dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to 
that which seems to bo felt by a mouse after tho first shako 
of tho cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there 
was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though quite 
conscious of all that was happening. It was like what 
patients partially under tho influence of chloroform de- 
scribe, who see all tho operation, but feel not the knife. 
This singular condition was not tho result of any mental 
process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense 
of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar 
state is probably produced in all animals killed by tho car- 
nivora, and, if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent 
Creator for lessening tho pain of death. Turning round 
to relievo myself of tho weight, as he had one paw on the 
back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe, who 
was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteon 
yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels; 
tho lion immediately loft mo, and, attacking Mebalwo, bit 
his thigh. Another man, whoso life I had saved before, 
aftor he had been tossed by a buffalo, attempted to spear 
tho lion whilo ho was biting Mebalwe. He left Mebalwe 
and caught this man by the shoulder, but at that moment 
tho bullets he had received took effect, and ho fell down 
dead. The whole was the work of a few moments, and 
