n of
aligning sights and signalling from a rather distracted brain just when
to pull the trigger. Our faithful gunbearers crouched by us, the heavy
guns ready.

One rhino seemed either peaceable or stupid. He showed no inclination
either to attack or to depart, but was willing to back whatever play his
friend might decide on. The friend charged toward us until we began to
think he meant battle, stopped, thought a moment, and then, followed by
his companion, trotted slowly across our bows about eighty yards away,
while we continued our long range practice at the lions over their
backs.

In this we were not winning many cigars. F. had a 280-calibre rifle
shooting the Ross cartridge through the much advertised grooveless oval
bore. It was little accurate beyond a hundred yards. Memba Sasa had
thrust the 405 into my hand, knowing it for the "lion gun," and kept
just out of reach with the long-range Springfield. I had no time to
argue the matter with him. The 405 has a trajectory like a rainbow
at that distance, and I was guessing at it, and not making very good
guesses either. B. had his Springfield and made closer practice, finally
hitting a leg of one of the beasts. We saw him lift his paw and shake
it, but he did not move lamely afterward, so the damage was probably
confined to a simple scrape. It was a good shot anyway. Then they
disappeared over the top of the hill.

We walked forward, regretting rhinos. Thirty yards ahead of me came a
thunderous and roaring growl, and a magnificent old lion reared his head
from a low bush. He evidently intended mischief, for I could see his
tail switching. However, B. had killed only one lion and I wanted very
much to give him the shot. Therefore, I held the front sight on the
middle of his chest, and uttered a fervent wish to myself that B. would
hurry up. In about ten seconds the muzzle of his rifle poked over my
shoulder, so I resigned the job.

At B.'s shot the lion fell over, but was immediately up and trying to
get at us. Then we saw that his hind quarters were paralyzed. He was
a most magnificent sight as he reared his fine old head, roaring at us
full mouthed so that the very air trembled. Billy had a good look at a
lion in action. B. took up a commanding position on an ant hill to one
side with his rifle levelled. F. and I advanced slowly side by side.
At twelve feet from the wounded beast stopped, F. unlimbered the kodak,
while I held the bead of the 405 between the lio