I
Kept Perfectly Still, However, Hardly Daring Even
To Blink My Eyes:
But the long-continued strain
was telling on my nerves, and my feelings may
be better imagined than described when about
midnight suddenly something came flop and struck
me on the back of the head.
For a moment I
was so terrified that I nearly fell off the plank, as
I thought that the lion had sprung on me from
behind. Regaining my senses in a second or two,
I realised that I had been hit by nothing more
formidable than an owl, which had doubtless
mistaken me for the branch of a tree - not a
very alarming thing to happen in ordinary circumstances,
I admit, but coming at the time it did,
it almost paralysed me. The involuntary start
which I could not help giving was immediately
answered by a sinister growl from below.
After this I again kept as still as I could,
though absolutely trembling with excitement; and
in a short while I heard the lion begin to creep
stealthily towards me. I could barely make out
his form as he crouched among the whitish undergrowth;
but I saw enough for my purpose, and
before he could come any nearer, I took careful
aim and pulled the trigger. The sound of the
shot was at once followed by a most terrific roar,
and then I could hear him leaping about in all
directions. I was no longer able to see him,
however, as his first bound had taken him into
the thick bush; but to make assurance doubly
sure, I kept blazing away in the direction in which
I heard him plunging about. At length came a
series of mighty groans, gradually subsiding into
deep sighs, and finally ceasing altogether; and I
felt convinced that one of the "devils" who
had so long harried us would trouble us no more.
As soon as I ceased firing, a tumult of inquiring
voices was borne across the dark jungle from the
men in camp about a quarter of a mile away.
I shouted back that I was safe and sound, and
that one of the lions was dead: whereupon such a
mighty cheer went up from all the camps as
must have astonished the denizens of the jungle
for miles around. Shortly I saw scores of lights
twinkling through the bushes: every man in camp
turned out, and with tom-toms beating and horns
blowing came running to the scene. They
surrounded my eyrie, and to my amazement
prostrated themselves on the ground before me,
saluting me with cries of "Mabarak! Mabarak!"
which I believe means "blessed one" or "saviour."
All the same, I refused to allow any search to be
made that night for the body of the lion, in case
his companion might be close by; besides, it was
possible that he might be still alive, and capable
of making a last spring. Accordingly we all
returned in triumph to the camp, where great
rejoicings were kept up for the remainder of
the night, the Swahili and other African natives
celebrating the occasion by an especially wild
and savage dance.
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