d, detached, well-wooded, rocky, pyramidal mountains,
which stood forth in grand relief. In advance the picture was bounded by
forest and mountain; one bold acclivity, in shape of a dome, standing
prominent among its fellows. It was a lovely evening: the sky, overcast
and gloomy, threw an interesting, wild, mysterious coloring over the
landscape. I gazed forth upon the romantic scene before me with intense
delight, and felt melancholy and sorrowful at passing so fleetingly
through it, and could not help shouting out, as I marched along, "Where
is the coward who would not dare to die for such a land?"

In the morning we held for a fountain some miles ahead, in a gorge in
the mountains. As we approached the fountain, and were passing close
under a steep, rocky, hillside, well wooded to its summit, I
unexpectedly beheld a lion stealing up the rocky face, and, halting
behind a tree, he stood overhauling us for some minutes. I resolved to
give him battle, and, seizing my rifle, marched against him, followed by
Carey carrying a spare gun, and by three men leading my dogs, now
reduced to eight. When we got close in to the base of the mountain, we
found ourselves enveloped in dense jungle, which extended half-way to
its summit, and entirely obscured from our eyes objects which were quite
apparent from the wagons, I slipped my dogs, however, which, after
snuffing about, took right up the steep face on the spoor of the lions,
for there was a troop of them--a lion and three lionesses.

The people at the wagons saw the chase in perfection. When the lions
observed the dogs coming on, they took right up, and three of them
crossed over the sky ridge. The dogs, however, turned one rattling old
lioness, which came rumbling down through the cover, close past me. I
ran to meet her, and she came to bay in an open spot near the base of
the mountain, whither I quickly followed, and coming up within thirty
yards, bowled her over with my first shot, which broke her back. My
second entered her shoulder; and, fearing that she might hurt any of the
dogs, as she still evinced signs of life, I finished her with a third in
the breast. The bellies of all the four lions were much distended by
some game they had been gorging, no doubt a buffalo, as a large herd
started out of the jungle immediately under the spot where the noble
beasts were first disturbed.

Showers of rain fell every hour throughout the day, so I employed my men
in making feldt-scho