371 
THROUGH ZAMBESI A. 
at a fine lion and wounded him. Reloading as quickly 
as he could, he had looked for his game in order to 
give the coup cle grace, when to his surprise he found 
that the first shot had had no effect beyond firing the 
fury of the animal, which now ran with great speed 
towards its enemy. 
John at once threw down his gun, and bolted for dear 
life. But in speed the lion was too much for him. 
Poor John was overtaken in an instant, seized at the 
small of the back, the brute’s fangs piercing the two 
large muscles which are situated beside the vertebrae. 
The unfortunate man was thrown violently to the 
ground. The lion then literally tore the flesh off his 
legs and thighs. It was only the continued shouts 
and yells of the whole party, none of whom had guns, 
that finally made the lion run off. Wonderful to relate, 
John rapidly recovered from his wounds. 
But never afterwards did he yearn for lion hunting. 
As Mr. Selous hinted to me at Buluwayo, this horrible 
experience had shaken John’s nerve in such circum¬ 
stances. 
I determined not to abandon the spot where the 
meat was, thinking that its attraction would soon bring 
the lions back again, when I would try my luck. Going 
on with the carriers for about half a mile, we arrived at 
a small watercourse, and I said that there we would 
camp, while to the immense delight of the company I 
also agreed that the ox might be killed. 
With “ C.L.K.” in my hands, I asked Karemba to go 
with me, but he said he did not like to go. Force would 
be of little use under the circumstances, so I departed 
on the doubtful venture without a companion. I waded 
through high grass and plunged through thorn and 
thicket until the spot where the lions had been seen 
feasting upon the zebras was reached. The bodies were 
quite fresh, evidently lately killed. The lions had been 
hungry, for they had made away with the greater portion 
of the flesh. 
What a wild forest scene this was ! Low in the air 
the vultures were flying above the bodies of the lions’ 
2 B 2 
