CHARGED BY A LION 
205 
growling. I peered into the bush, but saw nothing. My 
second shikari, who stood on my left, however, called to me 
that he could see the lion, so I stumbled over a small bush 
to get near him. At last I caught a glimpse of his tail 
lashing his sides violently, the growling continuing. I could 
see nothing definite to fire at, when all at once the growl 
turned into a terrific roar, there was a great scuffling sound 
in the bush, and a lion’s head appeared in an opening in the 
bush. There was no mistake about it, he was coming. In 
less time than it takes to say ‘ knife,’ he was clear of the 
bush and coming straight at me. With a coughing roar, 
with his tail working up and down stiff as a poker, his ears 
w^ell back, and his huge teeth showing, he looked the very 
picture of rage and agony. I didn’t let him come far, I can 
tell you, and taking as careful aim as I could at his head, I 
put a bullet in exactly between his eyes when he was within 
15 yards of me. He doubled up and fell, but as he still 
moved, I put another ball into his head to make sure of 
him. 
Then I sent up a yell of triumph that would have 
frightened the bravest lion out of its wits. It was well 
echoed by my men, who came racing down upon me, firing 
their rifles in the air, and tumbling over each other in a 
mad race to shake me by the hand. The ponies galloped 
up, followed by a huge crowd of men, women and children, 
who shrieked and yelled and careered about as if they were 
all stark staring mad. Bullets whizzed through the air, till I 
marvelled nobody was shot. The excitement had entirely 
driven away my fever. Four men lifted up the huge frame 
of the lion and bore it to camp, and my headman — ^^nearly 
weeping for joy as he thought of the fat sheep I should 
have to buy to do honour to the occasion — took me by the 
hand and led me back to camp, muttering, ‘ It is goot — it 
is very goot.’ 
All the morning I busied myself measuring, photograph- 
ing and superintending the skinning of the lion, which, 
although possessing a poor mane, was in point of size a 
