He Still Breathed Regularly, As His Flanks
Heaved With Each Respiration; But As He Lay
Absolutely Still With All The Men Jabbering Within
A Yard Of Him, I Assumed That He Was On The
Point Of Death And Unable To Rise.
Possessed
with this belief, I very foolishly allowed my
curiosity to run away with my caution, and
stepped round to have a look at his head.
The
moment I came into his view, however, he
suddenly became possessed of a diabolical ferocity.
With a great roar he sprang to his feet, as if he
were quite unhurt; his eyes blazed with fury,
and his lips were drawn well back, exposing
his tusks and teeth in a way I hope never to
witness again. When this perilous situation so
unexpectedly developed itself, I was not more
than three paces away from him.
The instant the lion rose, all the men fled as
if the Evil One himself were after them, and
made for the nearest trees - with one exception,
for as I took a step backwards, keeping my eye
on the infuriated animal, I almost trod on Roshan
Khan, who had still remained close behind me.
Fortunately for me, I had approached the lion's
head with my rifle ready, and as I stepped back
I fired. The impact of the .303 bullet threw
him back on his haunches just as he was in the
act of springing, but in an instant he was up
again and coming for me so quickly that I had
not even time to raise my rifle to my shoulder,
but fired point blank at him from my hip, delaying
him for a second or so as before.
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