The Distance Was, As I
Have Said, A Bare Seventy Yards; Yet I Must
Confess To A Disgraceful Miss.
More astonishing
still, the beast made not the slightest movement
- did not even blink an eye, so far as
I could
see - but continued his steadfast, questioning gaze.
Again I took aim, this time for a spot below the
tip of his nose, and again I fired - with more
success, the lion turning a complete somersault
over his tail. I thought he was done for,
but he instantly sprang to his feet again, and
to my horror and astonishment was joined by
a lioness whose presence we had never even
thought of or suspected.
Worse was still to follow, for to our dismay
both made a most determined charge on us,
bounding along at a great pace and roaring angrily
as they came. Poor Mahina cried out, "Sahib,
do sher ata hai!" ("Master, two lions are
coming!"), but I told him to stand stock-still
and for his life not to make the slightest
movement. In the twinkling of an eye the two
beasts had covered about forty yards of the
distance towards us. As they did not show the
least sign of stopping, I thought we had given the
experiment of remaining absolutely motionless a
fair trial, and was just about to raise the rifle to
my shoulder as a last resort, when suddenly the
wounded lion stopped, staggered, and fell to the
ground. The lioness took a couple of bounds
nearer to us, and then to my unmeasured relief
turned to look round for her mate, who had by
this time managed to get to his feet again.
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