DANGER 01? A SOLITARY TRAVELLER. 
201 
thorn-bushes. He went to the water, took a hearty 
drink, returned to the rock, smoked his pipe, and, 
being a little tired, fell asleep. 
“ In a short time the heat reflected from the rock 
awoke him, and on opening bis eyes he saw a large 
lion couching before him, with its eyes glaring in 
his face, and within little more than a yard of his 
feet. He sat motionless for some minutes, till he 
had recovered his presence of mind; then, eyeing 
his gun, moved his hand slowly towards it. The 
lion seeing him thus occupied, raised its head, and 
gave a tremendous roar. He made another and 
another attempt; but the gun being far beyond his 
reach, he gave it up, as the lion seemed well aware 
of his object, and was enraged whenever he at¬ 
tempted to move his hand. His situation was now 
painful in the extreme; the rock on which he sat 
became so hot that he could scarcely bear his naked 
feet to touch it, and he therefore kept moving them, 
alternately placing one above the other. 
“ The day passed, and the night also, but the lion 
never moved from the spot. The sun rose again, 
and its intense heat soon rendered his feet past 
feeling. At noon the lion rose and walked to the 
water, only a few yards distant, looked behind as 
he went, lest the man should move; and seeing 
him stretch out his hand to take his gun, turned in 
a rage, and was on the point of springing upon him. 
The animal went to the water, drank, and returning, 
lay down again at the edge of the rock. 
u Another night passed; the man, in describing 
it, said he knew not whether he slept, but, if he 
