78 
LION-HUNTING 
[CH. Ill 
bearers, who were stanch, but who showed a tendency 
to walk a little ahead of me on each side, instead of a 
little behind. I walked toward her because I could not 
kneel to shoot in grass so tall; and when shooting off¬ 
hand I like to be fairly close, so as to be sure that my 
bullets go in the right place. At sixty yards I could 
make her out clearly, snarling at me as she faced me, 
and I shot her full in the chest. She at once performed 
a series of extraordinary antics, tumbling about on her 
head, just as if she were throwing somersaults, first to 
one side and then to the other. I fired again, but 
managed to shoot between the somersaults, so to speak, 
and missed her. The shot seemed to bring her to 
herself, and away she tore; but, instead of charging us, 
she charged the line of beaters. She was dying fast, 
however, and in her weakness failed to catch anyone, 
and she sank down into the long grass. Hill and I 
advanced to look her up, our rifles at full cock, and 
the gun-bearers close behind. It is ticklish work to 
follow a wounded lion in tall grass, and we walked 
carefully, every sense on the alert. We passed Heller, 
who had been with the beaters. He spoke to us with 
an amused smile. His only weapon was a pair of field- 
glasses, but he always took things as they came with 
entire coolness, and to be close to a wounded lioness 
when she charged merely interested him. A beater 
came running up and pointed toward where he had 
seen her, and we walked toward the place. At thirty 
yards distance Hill pointed, and, eagerly peering, I 
made out the form of the lioness showing indistinctly 
through the grass. She was half crouching, half sitting, 
her head bent down, but she still had strength to do 
mischief. She saw us, but before she could turn I sent 
a bullet through her shoulders. Down she went, and 
