VII 
MAN-EATING LIONS 
73 
nature of the country, and, returning a few seconds 
later, he informed me that about thirty yards ahead 
of us there was a clearing, where the natives had 
been preparing the ground for a garden, beyond 
which space lay an extensive patch of bush. Feeling 
certain that the lion had left the long grass and 
made for the bush, we were hastening along, when 
Simba suddenly whispered : ‘ Bwana, I heard the 
grass rustling ahead and imagine that he has just 
left this cover and is making for the bush on the 
other side of the clearing. If we hurry, you may be 
able to get a shot at him before he has crossed the 
open space.’ Making speedy progress, we emerged 
from the long grass, just in time to see the brute 
on the point of entering the thicket on the other 
side of the open space, so taking hasty aim, I fired, 
the bullet striking him and rolling him over. In an 
instant, he was up again, and was about to disappear 
when I fired my second barrel, unfortunately missing 
him. Crossing the clearing, we approached to within 
a score of yards of the spot at which he had vanished 
into the jungle, there to be met with a growling 
challenge, and imagining that he was severely 
wounded, and would before long succumb to the 
effect of the bullet he had received, I thought it 
advisable that we should retrace our steps for about 
thirty yards and await developments. After the 
lapse of about an hour, I decided to explore the 
