This would bring the antelope almost upon the lion's back.
The two animals suddenly appeared to touch each other as the leucotis
jumped down the bank, and the lion sprang to one side, apparently as
much startled as the antelope, which bounded off in another direction,.
The lion now disappeared in the high grass, with the head towards my
position.
I whispered to my boys not to be afraid should it appear close to us,
and at the same time I took the spare gun from; Bellal, and laid it
against the ant-hill to be in readiness. This was a breechloader, with
buckshot cartridges for small antelopes.
In a few minutes I heard a distinct rustling in the high grass before
me. The two boys were squatting on the ground to my right.
Presently a louder rustling in the grass, within forty yards in my
front, was followed by the head and shoulders of a large lioness, who
apparently saw the two boys, and with her brilliant eyes fixed, she
advanced slowly towards them.
Not wishing to allow a closer acquaintance, I aimed at her chest, and
fired the "Dutchman."
The lioness rolled completely over, backwards, and three times she
turned convulsive somersaults, at the same time roaring tremendously;
but to my astonishment she appeared to recover, and I immediately fired
my left-hand barrel. At this she charged in high bounds straight towards
my two boys.
I had just time to snatch up my spare gun and show myself from behind
the ant-hill, when the lioness, startled by my sudden appearance,
turned, and I fired a charge of buck-shot into her hind-quarters as she
disappeared in the high grass upon my right.
I now heard her groaning in a succession of deep guttural sounds, within
fifty yards of me.
In a few minutes I heard a shot from Abd-el-Kader, and he shortly came
to tell me that the wounded lioness, with her chest and shoulder covered
with blood, had come close to his hiding-place; he had fired, and had
broken her ankle joint, but she was still concealed in the grass.
Shooli and Gimoro now came up with some of the natives, as they had
heard the lioness roar, and feared some accident might have happened.
These were very plucky fellows, and they at once proposed to go close up
and spear her in the grass, if I would back them up with the rifles.
We arrived at the supposed spot, and after a search we distinguished a
yellowish mass within some withered reeds.
Shooli now proposed that he should throw his spear, upon which the
lioness would certainly charge from her covert and afford us a good
shot, if the guns were properly arranged.
