122 
THE LION. 
without effect. At length, after some hours spent 
in thus beating about the bush, the Scottish blood 
of some of my countrymen began to get impatient, 
and three of them announced their determina¬ 
tion to break in and beard the lion in his den, pro¬ 
vided three of the Bastards (who were superior 
marksmen) would support them, and follow up their 
fire, should the enemy venture to give battle. Ac¬ 
cordingly, in they went (in spite of the warnings 
of some more prudent men), to within fifteen to 
twenty paces of the spot where the animal lay con¬ 
cealed. He was couched among the roots of a large 
evergreen, but with a small space of open ground 
on one side of it; and they fancied, on approaching, 
that they saw him distinctly lying glaring at them 
under the foliage. Charging the Bastards to remain 
firm, and level fair, should they miss, the Scottish 
champions let fly together, and struck, not the lion, 
as it afterwards proved, but a great block of red 
stone, beyond which he was actually lying. Whether 
any of the shot grazed him is uncertain; but with 
no other warning than a furious growl, forth he 
bolted from the bush. The rascally Bastards, in 
place of pouring in their volley upon him, instantly 
turned and ran helter-skelter, leaving him to do 
his pleasure on the defenceless Scots, who, with 
empty guns, were tumbling over each other in their 
hurry to escape the clutch of the rampant savage. 
In a twinkling he was upon them, and with one 
stroke of his paw dashed the nearest to the ground. 
The scene was terrific ! There stood the lion, with 
his foot upon the prostrate foe, looking round in 
