position.
Another night passed, and again on the following day the lion went for a
drink. On this occasion it was alarmed by some noise, and made off to
the bush. The poor native crawled to his gun, and then crept down to the
pool to drink. His toes were so scorched by the heat of the rock that he
could not walk. Fortunately, he was discovered by a person passing, and
was rescued. He lost the use of his toes, however, and he was a cripple
for the rest of his life.

Livingstone once nearly lost his life in an encounter with a lion in
South Africa. He had gone out to shoot one of a troop of lions, in order
to frighten the rest away from the village. After the natives who were
with him had allowed several to escape, Livingstone shot at one about
thirty yards off, and wounded it. He was quietly re-loading his gun,
when he heard a shout from one of his attendants, and, looking up, he
saw the lion springing upon him. It caught him by the shoulder, and
shook him as a dog shakes a rat. The shaking seemed to deprive him of
his sense of feeling, and he felt neither pain nor alarm, though he knew
quite well what was happening. The lion growled all the while, and
placed his heavy foot upon the doctor's head. At this moment one of the
natives had courage enough to fire, and, though the shot failed, the
lion's attention was drawn to the native, and it rushed upon him and bit
him in the thigh. Another native tried to spear it, and he in his turn
was attacked, and bitten in the shoulder. But this time the lion was
exhausted by its wounds, and fell down dead.

Not long ago a Government ranger in the Transvaal had a fierce struggle
with a lion, which was reported in _The Field_. He was riding homewards
alone, having left his companions behind, when he heard his dog bark at
something near the path, and saw a lion crouching near him on the right
side, ready to spring. He turned his horse quickly and the lion missed
his spring, but the ranger was thrown from his horse. No sooner did he
touch the ground than another lion pounced upon him from the opposite
side, while the first ran after the runaway horse. The second lion
seized him by the right shoulder, and dragged him quickly along the
path, his back and legs trailing along the ground. The animal growled
and purred like a cat with a mouse, but in very much louder tones. The
poor ranger was greatly distressed, both in body and in mind, and it was
not until the lion had dragged him about tw