be in a state of putrefaction, and the lions would most
probably be with the body. Accordingly, I struck
off to my left, and continuing straight forward for
some hundred yards, I again struck into the thick
jungle, and came round to the wind. Success depended
on extreme caution, therefore I advised my
three men to keep close behind me with the spare
rifles, as I carried my single-barrelled Beattie. This
rifle was extremely accurate, therefore I had chosen it
for this close work, when I expected to get a shot
at the eye or forehead of a lion crouching in the bush.
Softly and with difficulty I crept forward, followed
closely by my men ; through the high withered grass,
beneath the dense green nabbuk bushes ; peering
through the thick covert, with the nerves tuned up to
full pitch, and the finger on the trigger ready for any
emergency. We had thus advanced for about half
an hour, during which I frequently applied my nose
to within a foot of the ground to catch the scent,
when a sudden puff of wind brought the unmistake-
able smell of decomposing flesh. For the moment I
halted, and, looking round to my men, I made a sign
that we were near to the carcase, and that they were
to be ready with the rifles. Again I crept gently
forward, bending, and sometimes crawling, beneath
the thorns to avoid the slightest noise. As I approached,
the scent became stronger, until I at length
felt that I must be close to the cause. This was
highly exciting. Fully prepared for a quick shot, I
stealthily crept on. A tremendous roar in the dense
-thorns within a few feet of me suddenly brought my
rifle to my shoulder: almost in the same instant I
observed the three-quarter figure of either a lion or a
lioness within three yards of me, on the other side
of the bush, under which I had been creeping—the
foliage concealed the head, but I could almost have
touched the shoulder with my rifle. Much depended
upon the bullet; and I fired exactly through the
centre of, the shoulder. Another tremendous roar!
and a crash in the bushes as the animal made a bound
forward, was succeeded immediately by a similar roar,
as another lion took the exact position of the last, and
stood wondering at the report of the rifle, and seeking
for the cause of the intrusion. This was a grand lion
with a shaggy mane; but I was unloaded, keeping
my eyes fixed on the beast, while I stretched my hand
back for a spare rifle ; the lion remained standing, but
gazing up wind with his head raised, snuffing in the
air for a scent of the enemy. No rifle was put in my
hand. I looked back for an instant, and saw my
Tokrooris faltering, about five yards behind me. I
looked daggers at them, gnashing my teeth and shaking
my fist. They saw the lion, and Taher Noor snatching
a rifle from Hadji Ali, was just about to bring it, when
Hassan, ashamed, ran forward—the lion disappeared at
the same moment! Never was such a fine chance lost
through the indecision of the gun-bearers! I made a
vow never to carry a single-barrelled rifle again when
hunting large game. If I had had my dear little
Fletcher 24,1 should have nailed the lion to a certainty.