Page 152 - Adventures in Africa

The grand principle in attacking 'wild beasts is

never to allow the whole of the party to remain
unarmed for a moment. The Hon did not appear
quite to like the look of things. lie advanced cau­
tiously, showing his whole vast proportions, his huge

shaggy mane, and the afterpsrt of his body looking
thin and small, but even that was of the size of a full-

grown donkey* Twice he stopped, and each time
uttered a tremendous roar.
tf lie smells us, if he cannot see us/' said Harry.

Still the creature appeared doubtful whether he
would spring towards the suspected point,

“ Now, Harry, let's see what you can do,” I whis­
pered,
“ I shall be glad iT I can knock him over the first
shot,'" he answered.

Harry and Jan’s rifles went off at the same moment,
and we could hear their bullets strike, but neither

brought the lion to the ground. His rage overcame
his fears; and lashing his tail and again roaring, he
was about to spring on us, when Hans and I, taking

steady aim at him as he rose from the ground, sent our
leaden messengers of death through his body. He
must have leapt up half-a-dozen feet, falling right over

on his head, where he lay struggling for a few seconds;
but before we could leap over the rocks and get near
him, he was dead. W e signified our satisfaction at

the victory by a loud shout,
“ W e shall now sleep soundly,” said Hans, giving

the animal a kick with his foot.
W e repaired to our camp and made up the fire.
Though Hans declared that there was no necessity for