ONSET OF A LION. 
195 
change places with them : but my proposal, as I ex¬ 
pected, was forthwith declined. 
As the day, however, w T as now fast drawing to a 
close, I determined to make one other effort to de¬ 
stroy the lion, and, should that prove unsuccessful, 
to give up the chase. Accordingly, accompanied 
by only a single native, I again entered the brake 
in question, which I examined for some time with¬ 
out seeing anything ; but on arriving at that part 
of the cover we had first searched, and when in a 
spot comparatively free from bushes, up suddenly 
sprang the beast within a few paces of me. It 
was a black-maned lion, one of the largest I 
ever remember to have encountered in Africa. But 
his movements were so rapid, so silent and smooth 
withal, that it was not until he had partially entered 
the thick cover (at which time he might have been 
about thirty paces distant) that I could fire. On 
receiving the ball, he wheeled short about, and, 
with a terrific roar, bounded towards me. When 
within a few paces, he couched as if about to spring, 
having his head embedded, so to say, between his 
fore-paws. 
Drawing a large hunting-knife, and slipping it 
over the wrist of my right hand, I dropped on one 
knee, and, thus prepared, awaited his onset. It 
was an awful moment of suspense and my situa¬ 
tion was critical in the extreme. Still my presence 
of mind never for a moment forsook me—indeed, I 
felt that nothing but the most perfect coolness and 
absolute self-command would be of any avail. 
I would now have become the assailant; but as— 
