426 
AFRICAN HUNTING. 
though he went hard on three legs ; and I jumped off 
forty yards behind him, and gave him the second 
barrel, a good shot, just above the root of the tail, 
breaking his spine, when he lay under a bush 
roaring furiously, and I gave him two in the chest 
before he cried 6 enough.’ He was an old manikin, 
fat and furious, having only four huge yellow blunt 
fangs left. Then I had to hunt up the Masaras, who, 
of course, never came near, nor never would have 
done so, if he had taken a day and a half to eat up 
my carcase. The gloomy forebodings which the 
skull gave rise to at starting, were much nearer being 
fulfilled than I reckoned for ; and why a man risks his 
life for no earthly gain, is a problem I cannot solve. 
I only know this, there is a secret feeling of inward 
satisfaction at having conquered, that is almost 
worth the risk to be run, though there are no ap¬ 
plauding friends or spectators present. I wish my 
powers of description equalled those of a Masara; I 
think I never enjoyed a greater treat than to hear 
one of them describe this adventure. I did not un¬ 
derstand a word he said, but his gestures and attitudes 
were splendid ; his eyes flashed fire, he broke out 
into a streaming perspiration, and mimicked the lion 
so perfectly, as to make me feel quite cold. It would 
be impossible to surpass his imitation of the horse 
galloping, with myself spurring him, and all the 
other incidents of the chase. I had the satis¬ 
faction of seeing that I held the very first place in 
his estimation, and ever since the Masaras have 
