I
Knew Then That I Had Not A Moment To Spare, So
I Threw The Rifle Up To My Shoulder And Pulled
The Trigger.
Imagine my utter despair and horror
when it did not go off!
"Misfire again," I thought,
and my heart almost stopped beating. As
took a step backwards, I felt it was all over no
for he would never give me time to extract the
cartridge and load again. Still I took another
step backwards, keeping my eyes fixed on the
lion's, which were blazing with rage; and in the
middle of my third step, just as the brute was
gathering himself for his spring, it suddenly
struck me that in my haste and excitement, I had
forgotten that I was using a borrowed rifle and
had not pulled back the hammer (my own was
hammerless). To do this and put a bullet through
the lion's brain was then the work of a moment;
and he fell dead instantly right on the top of
Bhoota.
We did not lose a moment in rolling his great
carcase off Bhoota's body and quickly forced opening
the jaws so as to disengage the mangled arm
which still remained in his mouth. By this time
the poor shikari was in a fainting condition, and
we flew to the tonga for the brandy flask which we
had so providentially brought with us. On making
a rough examination of the wounded man, we
found that his left arm and right leg were both
frightfully mauled, the latter being broken as
well.
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