The Whole Day Passed Fruitlessly; I Had Crept Through The
Thickest Thorns In Vain; Having Abundance Of Meat, I Had Refused
The Most Tempting Shots At Buffaloes And Large Antelopes, As I
Had Devoted Myself Exclusively To Lions.
I was much disappointed,
as the evening had arrived without a shot having been fired, and
as the sun
Had nearly set, I wandered slowly towards home.
Passing through alternate open glades of a few yards width,
hemmed in on all sides by thick jungle, I was carelessly carrying
my rifle upon my shoulder, as I pushed my way through the
opposing thorns, when a sudden roar, just before me, at once
brought the rifle upon full cock, and I saw a magnificent lion
standing in the middle of the glade, about ten yards from me: he
had been lying on the ground, and had started to his feet upon
hearing me approach through the jungle. For an instant he stood
in an attitude of attention, as we were hardly visible; but at
the same moment I took a quick but sure shot with the little
Fletcher. He gave a convulsive bound, but rolled over backwards:
before he could recover himself, I fired the left-hand barrel. It
was a glorious sight. I had advanced a few steps into the glade,
and Hassan had quickly handed me a spare rifle, while Taher Noor
stood by me sword in hand. The lion in the greatest fury, with
his shaggy mane bristled in the air, roared with death-like
growls, as open-mouthed he endeavoured to charge upon us; but he
dragged his hind-quarters upon the ground, and I saw immediately
that the little Fletcher had broken his spine.
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