70 bullet. This minute projectile was of little use
against the charge of a lion.
I fired into the mass at about twenty yards' distance.
The immediate reply was a determined charge, and the enraged animal came
bounding towards us with tremendous roars. The natives threw their
spears but missed her. Mr. Baker fired, but neither he nor a left-hand
barrel from the "Dutchman" could check her. Everybody had to run, and I
luckily snatched a breechloading No. 12 smooth-bore loaded with ball
from a panic-stricken lad, and rolled her over with a shot in the chest
when she was nearly in the midst of us.
She retreated with two or three bounds to her original covert.
I had now reloaded the "Dutchman," and having given orders that every
one should keep out of the way, and be ready, I went close up to the
grass with Shooli, and quickly discovered her. She was sitting up like a
dog, but was looking in the opposite direction, as though expecting an
enemy in that quarter.
I was within twelve yards of her, and I immediately put a bullet in the
back of her neck, which dropped her dead.
In her inside we discovered a freshly-eaten leucotis calf, which had
been simply divided by her teeth in lumps of about two pounds each. This
was quite fresh, and my soldiers and the natives divided it among them
as a bonne-bouche. Nasty fellows!
The day's sport had been: - One lioness killed by myself; one leucotis
buck by Mr. Baker; one leucotis buck by Abd-el-Kader; two does of the
same species by Ferritch Ajoke; and the natives had speared three
calves. Total, one lioness and seven antelopes, ALL of which were to be
eaten.
We reached home at 5.40 p.m., not having had time to eat anything since
the preceding evening. The lioness measured nine feet six inches from
nose to tail extremity.
As this work is simply an account of the principal events connected with
the Khedive's expedition, I cannot afford space for many sporting
incidents. Game was very abundant, and we generally kept the station
well supplied; at the same time I gave large quantities of flesh to the
natives.
I sometimes sent a party of my "Forty" to hunt, in which sport they took
a great interest, and the practice with the rifle improved their
shooting.
The natives throughout the country were perfectly happy and contented,
but the women had been somewhat disturbed by the accounts they had
received of our encounter with the lioness. They held a meeting in
Gimoro's village.
On the following day both Gimoro and Shooli arrived at my public divan
looking rather dejected.
