Page 72 - Adventures in Africa

was streaming from the neck and flanks of the poor

giraffe, wTliich very quickly slackened its pace and then
down it came* unable longer to endure the pain it was
suffering. The lion at once began tearing away at

the flesh. Still it kicked, and struggled, but its efforts
wTere useless, and it very quickly ceased to move.
i( W e must have that lion/' said my uncle-

Having examined our rilles we hurried towards the
spot where the savage brute was enjoying its banquet,
so busily employed that it did not sec us. When at

length, it was aware of our approach it ceased feeding,
and gazed at us with its fore paws on the body of its

victim, presenting a truly magnificent spectacle.
W e were near enough by this time to take a steady
aim.

“ Do you fire, Fred, and then reload as rapidly as
you can, while I will wait until you are ready.’1

w But I have no second bullet,” fortunately recol­
lecting at the moment that I had expended all my
bullets but one.

M y uncle handed me a couple, and I obeyed his
injunctions. My bullet passed through the lion’s

thick mane and crashed into its neck.
Uttering a tremendous roar as it felt the pain, it
came towards us. Without a moment's loss of time

I reloaded, fearing that, should my uncle's bullet fail
to stop it, the brute would be upon us.
Notwithstanding the lion's near approach my uncle

waited, and then fired, hitting it between the eyes.
Still it advanced, but, blinded and almost stunned*
though it made a desperate bound towards us, its aim

was uncertain. My uncle sprang on one side and I