ping away, broke through the opening circle and escaped unhurt. The
men were afraid to attack him, perhaps on account of their belief in
witchcraft. When the circle was reformed, we saw two other lions in it;
but we were afraid to fire lest we should strike the men, and they
allowed the beasts to burst through also.

If the Bakatla had acted according to the custom of the country, they
would have speared the lions in their attempt to get out. Seeing we
could not get them to kill one of the lions, we bent our footsteps
toward the village; in going round the end of the hill, however, I saw
one of the beasts sitting on a piece of rock as before, but this time he
had a little bush in front. Being about thirty yards off, I took a good
aim at his body through the bush, and fired both barrels into it. The
men then called out, "He is shot, he is shot!" Others cried, "He has
been shot by another man too; let us go to him!" I did not see any one
else shoot at him, but I saw the lion's tail erected in anger behind the
bush, and turning to the people, said, "Stop a little, till I load
again." When in the act of ramming down the bullets, I heard a shout.
Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of
springing upon me.

I was upon a little height; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we
both came to the ground below together. Growling horribly close to my
ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock produced a
stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first
shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no
sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though I was quite conscious of all
that was happening. It was like what patients partially under the
influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel
not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of any mental
process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of horror in
looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in
all animals killed by the carnivora; and if so, is a merciful provision
by our benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning round
to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my
head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe, who was trying to shoot him at
a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in
both barrels; the lion immediately left me, and, attacking Mebalwe, bit
his t