twinkling of an eye she was in the midst of us. At this moment
Stofolus'a rifle exploded in his hand, and Kleinboy, whom I had
ordered to stand ready by me, danced about like a duck in a gale of
wind. The lioness sprang upon Colesberg, and fearfully lacerated his
ribs and haunches with her horrid teeth and claws. The worst wound was
on his haunch, which exhibited a sickening, yawning gash, more than
twelve inches long, almost laying bare the very bone. I was very
cool and steady, and did not feel in the least degree nervous, having
fortunately great confidence in my own shooting; but I must confess,
when the whole affair was over, I felt that it was a very awful
situation, and attended with extreme peril, as I had no friend with
me on whom I could rely. When the lioness sprang on Colesberg, I
stood out from the horses, ready with my second barrel for the first
chance she should give me of a clear shot. This she quickly did; for,
seemingly satisfied with the revenge she had now taken, she quitted
Colesberg, and slewing her tail to one side, trotted sulkily past
within a few paces of me, taking one step to the left. I pitched my
rifle to my shoulder, and in another second the lioness was stretched
on the plain a lifeless corpse."

This is, however, but a harmless adventure compared with a subsequent
escapade--not with one, but with six lions. It was the hunter's habit
to lay wait near the drinking-places of these animals, concealed in a
hole dug for the purpose. In such a place on the occasion in question,
Mr. Cumming--having left one of three rhinoceroses he had previously
killed as a bait--ensconsed himself. Such a savage festival as that
which introduced the adventure, has never before, we believe, been
introduced through the medium of the softest English and the finest
hot-pressed paper to the notice of the civilized public. "Soon after
twilight," the author relates, "I went down to my hole with Kleinboy
and two natives, who lay concealed in another hole, with Wolf and
Boxer ready to slip, in the event of wounding a lion. On reaching
the water I looked toward the carcase of the rhinoceros, and, to
my astonishment, I beheld the ground alive with large creatures,
as though a troop of zebras were approaching the fountain to drink.
Kleinboy remarked to me that a troop of zebras were standing on the
height. I answered, 'Yes,' but I knew very well that zebras would not
be capering around the carcase of a rhinoceros. I quic