196 
THE LION. 
owing to the intervening bushes, and clouds of dust 
raised by the lion’s lashing his tail against the 
ground—I was unable to see his head, while to aim 
at any other part would have been madness, I re¬ 
frained from firing. Whilst intently watching his 
every motion, he suddenly bounded towards me; 
but—-whether it was owing to his not perceiving 
me, partially concealed as I was in the long grass, 
or to my instinctively throwing my body on one 
side, or to his miscalculating the distance —- in 
making his last spring, he went clear over me, and 
alighted on the ground three or four paces beyond. 
Instantly, and without rising, I wheeled round on 
my knee, and discharged my second barrel; and, as 
his broadside was then towards me, I lodged a ball 
in his shoulder, which it completely smashed. On 
receiving my second fire, he made another and more 
determined rush at me ; but, owing to his disabled 
state, I happily avoided him. It was, however, 
only by a hair’s breadth, for he passed me within 
arm’s length. He afterwards scrambled into the 
thick cover beyond, where, as night was then ap¬ 
proaching, I did not deem it prudent to pursue 
him. 
At an early hour on the next morning, how¬ 
ever, we followed his “ spoor,” and soon came to 
the spot where he had passed the night. The 
sand here was one patch of blood; and the 
bushes immediately about were broken, and beaten 
down by his weight, as he had staggered to and 
fro in his effort to get on his legs again. Strange 
to sav, however, w ? e here lost all clue to the beast. 
