12 
A LION ENCOUNTEK. 
Chap. I. 
tliroTO at him; then leaping away, broke through the opening 
circle and escaped unhurt. The men were afraid to attack him, 
perhaps on account of their belief in witchcraft. When the circle 
was re-formed, we saw two other lions in it; but we were afraid 
to lire lest we should strike the men, and they allowed the beasts 
to burst through also. If the Bakatla had acted according to 
the custom of the country, they would have speared the lions in 
their attempt to get out. Seeing we could not get them to kill 
one of the lions, we bent our footsteps towards the village; in 
going round the end of the hill, however, I saw one of the beasts 
sitting on a piece of rock as before, but this time he had a little 
bush in front. Being about thu-ty yards off, I took a good aim 
at his body through the bush, and fired both barrels into it. The 
men then called out, “ He is shot, he is shot! ” Others cried, 
“ He has been shot by another man too; let us go to him! ” I 
did not see any one else shoot at him, but I saw the lion’s tail 
erected in anger behind the bush, 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. Starting, and 
looking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing 
upon me. I was upon a little height; he caught my shoulder as 
he sprang, and Ave both came to the ground below together. 
Growling horribly close to my ear, 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 shake of the 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 the 
influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but 
feel not the knife. This singular condition was not the result 
of any mental process. The shake annilulated fear, and allowed 
no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This pecu¬ 
liar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the 
carnivora; and if so, is a merciful provision by our bene¬ 
volent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning round 
to relieve myself of the 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 fifteen yards. His gun, a 
flint one, missed fire in both barrels; the lion immediately left 
