The mirror., 1922-12-14
FACING AN ANGRY LION

That mighty hunter F. c. Selous, who
fell by a German bullet after a long life
full of hairbreadth escapes has left this
story of an encounter he once had with
lion.
Dismounting, as his horse was restive,
the hunter found that fallen tree nearly
hid the lion and made it very hard to hit
him below the eyes.
Anywhere above the eyes would have
been too high, as the bullet would have
glanced from his skull, so that it required
a very exact shot to kill him on the spot.
However, there was not time to wait, and,
trying to aim so that the bullet should
just clear the fallen log and catch him be-
tween the eyes, the hunter fired.
With loud roar (the hunter says) he
answered the shot, and l instantly became
aware that he was coming straight for me
with open mouth and flaming eyes, growl
ing savagely.
l knew it was hopeless to try to get an
other cartridge into my single-barreled
rife, and utterly useless to try to mount,
more especially as my horse, startled by
the loud hoarse grunts and sudden and
disagreeable appearance of the charging
lion, backed so vigorously that the bride
Ito running ring on which a strong
thong was attached, the other end being
fastened to my belt) came over his head.
had strong feeling that was about
to have an opportunity of testing the &C
curacy of DR.. Livingstones incredible
statement that, for certain reasons lex
planned by the doctor), lions bite gives
no pain; but there was no time to think of
anything in particular.
The whole adventure was the affair of
moment. l just brought my rife around in
front of me, holding the small of the stock
in my right hand and the barrel in my
left, with a vague idea of getting it into
the lions mouth, and at the same time
yelled as loud as 1 could, "Los de honden,
los de honden!" which being interpreted
means, "Let loose the dogs"
In an instant, as say, the lion was close
up to me. l had never moved my feet
since firing, and whether it was my stand
ing still facing him that made him alter
his mind or whether he heard the noise
made by my people who, hearing my shot,
Immediately followed by the loud growing
of he oil cbo
a noise to frighten the lion from coming
their way-I cannot take upon myself to
say, but he come straight on to within
about six yards and then suddenly swerved
off and, passing me, galoped away.
The dogs then ran him to bay alongside
big ant hill.
AS soon as he saw me he paid no further
heed to his canine foes, but stood, with his
eyes fixed on the most dangerous of his as
sailants, growing hoarsely, and with his
head held low between his shouders-just
ready to charge, in fact
1 knew my horse would not stand steady,
so l jumped off and, taking quick aim,
nred instantly, as 1t does not do to wait
when lion is looking at you like this, and
when he may make up his mind to come
at any moment. Usually they jerk their
tails up over their heads, holding them
perfectly stiff and rigid two or three times
before charging. They sometimes charge
without doing this, but never do it without
charging.
My bullet inflicted mortal wound, en-
tering between the animals neck and
shoulder and travelling the whole length
of his body. He sat down like dog on
his launches Immediately after and was
evidently done for as he lolled his tongue
out of his mouth and growled feebly when
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