Evening star., 1909-05-16

dark that could not get q view, ana,
although l once thought 1 could make
out the form of lioness in the gloom.
/ concluded it was not best to fire, as,
in the event of my only wGunding her.
she would have had much in her favor
should she have attacked us in such
darkness. I was not sorry when day
broke, for the oxen and horses We're very
uneasy; but the skerm was good, having
been strengthened a couple of days be-
fore. not that lion, having once made
up his mind to attack, would be kept
out by such means. However, nothing
occurred further than the roaring, and.
after a hurried breakfast of coffee and
giraffe steak, l and Bob. one of the black
boys, took up the spoor of the lion, which
was plain enough about and around the
camp.
All we had left of the giraffe was rep
resented by few spinterS of bones
which the hyenas had polished after the
lion had gorged himself. For some dis
tance along the river bank the country
was pretty well wooded, whilst away TO
the north stretched the kalahari, dotted
here and there with scant timber clumps.
but otherwise vast sea of sand. / did
not take my horse, as he was a bit stiff
from the tumble of the day before: he
had also somewhat renewed his lameness
which was scarcely to be wondered at,
considering the country l had been gall
oping him over. The lion had made di-
rect for a thick patch of thOrns and
had evidently laid up there. I had no
dog My last had been so injured by
koOdoo bull. which had literally disem-
boweled him, that I had been compelled
to shoot him. This was greater loss
to me than / can express, for good
terrier is simply invaluable.
The brush was SO thick that It was
next to impossible to get through it, and
therefore, as 1t was clear around. and
there was no fear of making a con-
fagration. I set fire to it as the best
apparent means Of ousting our game.
Telling Bob. my Kafir driver. to keep
close behind me, I went a little far
ther round the cover, and was just in
time to see a lioness break away. but
so far Off that / did not fire, preferring
to let her go. in hopes of getting a
more favorable chance for a shot BY
this time the blaze had got so powerful
that we, too, we're glad to get away
from it: 40 degrees, or thereabouts,
was sufficient of itself as tempera-
ture, without additional warmth.
The lioness made straight for another
bit of brush, whittier we went after her.
and. though the thorns were quite thick
enough, / decided to follow her In. My
boy did not relish accompanying me, nor
could exactly blame him: for. though a
fair hunter and a brave enough lad in
ordinary. he did not like lions. his father
having been killed and his brother badly
mauled by one. 1t was rather difficult
keeping her spoor. but after some trouble
and considerable wear and tear. I espied
her living on a bare spot, watching me
tntently. Her head was resting between
her paws, and, as quickly as possible.
fired between her eyes and could have
sworn | planted the bullet there. for she
was not over twenty PAGES from me-
Turning to take my spare carbine from
Bob. | found that he had vanished. But
the lioness never stirred, and / was hur-
riedly reloading when she suddenly
jumped up and dashed farther into the
thicket
Jnpariamentary language relieves the
feelings. If nothing more: so, after hav-
ing anathematized poor Bob, | once more
plunged after the lioness. wondering how
our next meeting would come off. There
was plenty of blood, just where the head
had lain, and also enough to guide me
easily on the tracks she had taken. In
deed. before / was aware of it, l was
almost on top of her. Stepping steadily
back-she lay. directly from mel drew
another bead between her eyes at the
base of her skull. and let fly. This time
there could be no doubt as to its being
effective for as I stood, could see
where the bullet bored right into her
brain. The lioness never so much
moved. so stepped up and examined her.
My first bullet had struck her too low
beneath the eyes to reach her brain.
II had torn through the cartilage of the
nose and down her throat, momentarily
stunning and stupefying her that her
last rush was a random one; but she
was dead. to all ntents and purposes.
and doubtless not in need of my
second ball. Her skin was simply of
no value, and could only have been an
eyesore. so | did not bother to take it
off only keeping her skull. and returned
.tNn hnr hoo 1nSc n
soundly.
My theory was that lioness would