Accordingly, I Struck Off To My
Left, And Continuing Straight Forward For Some Hundred Yards, I
Again Struck Into The
Thick jungle, and came round to the wind.
Success depended on extreme caution, therefore I advised my three
men to
Keep close behind me with the spare rifles, as I carried
my single-barrelled Beattie. This rifle was extremely accurate,
therefore I had chosen it for this close work, when I expected to
get a shot at the eye or forehead of a lion crouching in the
bush. Softly and with difficulty I crept forward, followed
closely by my men; through the high withered grass, beneath the
dense green nabbuk bushes; peering through the thick covert, with
the nerves turned up to full pitch, and the finger on the trigger
ready for any emergency. We had thus advanced for about half an
hour, during which I frequently applied my nose to within a foot
of the ground to catch the scent, when a sudden puff of wind
brought the unmistakeable smell of decomposing flesh. For the
moment I halted, and, looking round to my men, I made a sign that
we were near to the carcase, and that they were to be ready with
the rifles. Again I crept gently forward, bending, and sometimes
crawling, beneath the thorns to avoid the slightest noise. As I
approached, the scent became stronger, until I at length felt
that I must be close to the cause. This was highly exciting.
Fully prepared for a quick shot, I stealthily crept on. A
tremendous roar in the dense thorns within a few feet of me
suddenly brought my rifle to the shoulder: almost in the same
instant I observed the three-quarter figure of either a lion or
a lioness within three yards of me, on the other side of the
bush, under which I had been creeping--the foliage concealed the
head, but I could almost have touched the shoulder with my rifle.
Much depended upon the bullet; and I fired exactly through the
shoulder. Another tremendous roar! and a crash in the bushes as
the animal made a bound forward, was succeeded immediately by a
similar roar, as another lion took the exact position of the
last, and stood wondering at the report of the rifle, and seeking
for the cause of the intrusion. This was a grand lion with a
shaggy mane; but I was unloaded, keeping my eyes fixed on the
beast, while I stretched my hand back for a spare rifle; the lion
remained standing, but gazing up wind with his head raised,
snuffing in the air for a scent of the enemy. No rifle was put in
my hand. I looked back for an instant, and saw my Tokrooris
faltering about five yards behind me. I looked daggers at them,
gnashing my teeth and shaking my fist. They saw the lion, and
Taher Noor snatching a rifle from Hadji Ali, was just about to
bring it, when Hassan, ashamed, ran forward--the lion disappeared
at the same moment!
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 210 of 290
Words from 109660 to 110168
of 151461
