Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-09
CHARGE OF THE LION.
Shooting the King of Beasts at Few
Yards Distance.
From the Royal Magazine.

From the Royal Magazine.
After we had gone fifteen miles, winding
in and out among the mmosa bushes the
two horsemen pointed overhead to the blaZ-
ing zone, and l saw hundreds of vultures
flying at an immense altitude. Dismount-
ing and advancing alone on foot with my
rifle, / soon caught sight of the dead camel.
The lion was crouchng behind it. and APP
reared almost exactly of the same color as
his prey ! was within eighty or ninety
yards when the lion sprang out toward me
and remained for some moments mononieSS
in defiant attitude, his foTepaws extend
ed. his head near the ground but his back
arched. Surprising he might be coming for
me | reserved my fire-besides, the dis
lance was too great for an absolutely GER
tain Shot-so that / might give him my
two barrels at close quarters as he was
charging down at me. After that l knew
must trust to luck. as / had no second rife
or Sunbearer and should have no time to
reload
After we had thus regarded each other
for some seconds the lion turned slowly and
numbered heavily away. l was sorry, since
he mad not charged, that l had not fired,
and sent a bullet screaming after him
through the bushes. as better late than
never ! was soon in the saddle and away
upon his tracks at a sallop, accompanied
by the mountain guides. The lion soon
stopped under a small mimosa bush,
crouchlng and glazing at US with waving
TAIL as We TOUt round tnen approached
on foot. The brute was now swaying his
tail and body from side to side with much
energy, and clearly upon the point of
charging down to kill me-
AS / walked round to get a flank shot
into his shoulder the lion moved SO as to
face me, keeping his body invisible, and
rendering chance shot very hazardous,
the brain being the only vital part to aim
for If one of the horSemen had only VEN
tured near or if the lions attention could
have been distracted for Il nome Mt toward
another foe he might have turned and
given me my opportunity of fatally Grip
ping him. The only issue now the
death of the lion or of myself, or both.
Which 1t was to be depended on the ac-
curacy of my aim and the GOODNESS of hand
and eye. Every instant the beast, like a
huge cat after a bird, was working HIM
self up for the inevitable charge, flashing
his great TANKS with his tail. | remember
wondering at that supreme moment wheth-
er the popular superstition that on the
end of his tail lion has a cav or sharp
point wherewth to goad himself on to the
attack could have any groundwork of fact
/ now gave up all hope of an easy shot
and feeling that further delay was imDos-
sible, as he might deliver his charge at
any moment, l sat down, and, resting my
elbows on my knees. fired twice at his head
through the bush at a distance of about
sixty yards. These shots failed to KILL and
uttering hoarse growls, the lion edged
round the bush, facing me and keeping low
upon the ground. | reloaded quickly and
standing upright so as to clear the grass,
fired my right barrel downward at his head
The hon Immediately rose to his feet and
charged down upon me at full speed, run
ming swift and low Only my left barrel
remained, and covering his chest with the
sights of my rifle as he neared me- pulled
the trigger, when he was a few yards dis
tant Exactly what the lion did no man
will ever know, unless the natives saw AS
l stepped hastily to one side reloading. |
was struck by shower of stones and half
blinded by a cloud of sand and dust. The
lion must have passed close by me, and
swung abruptly round under cover of the
smoke.
When the dust1cleared away 1 saw the
lion under the bush again-the same old
bush. He had delivered his charge, and it
had failed II was sick and sorry beast,
and evidently disconnected and wounded
unto death. | now had an easy side shot
into his shoulder, and quickly put two bu-
lets through his heart. 1 had seen one of
the grandest sights of Africa-the charge
upon ones self of the wild African lion.
practically carried home-a charge that
few have sustained and yet come off un-
harmed One can have too much of a good
thing, and the sight is not one that should
desire to see frequently.