Section 215. AN ADVENTURE WITH A LION. I.
Reading edition
It is well[1] known that if one of a troop of lions is killed, the others take the hint[2], and leave that part of the country. So[3] the next time the herds were attacked, I went with the people, in order to encourage them to rid themselves of the annoyance by destroying[4] one of the marauders. We found the lions on a small hill about a quarter of a mile in length[5], which was covered with trees. A circle of men was formed round it, and they gradually closed up[6], ascending pretty near to each other. Being down below on the plain with a native schoolmaster, named Mebalwe, a most excellent man (S. 53, N. 9), I saw one of the lions sitting (S. 78, N. 14, B) on a piece of rock within the now-closed circle of men. Mebalwe fired at him before I could[7], and the ball struck the rock on which the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him; then leaping away[8], broke through the opening circle, and escaped unhurt. The men were afraid to attack him on account of their belief in [an] witchcraft. When the circle was re-formed, we saw two other lions in it; but were afraid[9] to fire lest we should strike the men, and they allowed the beasts to burst through also. If (App. § 36) the Bakatta 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[10] them to kill one of the lions, we bent our footsteps[11] towards 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[12] 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[13] erected in anger behind the bush, and turning to the people, said: “Stop a little till I load[14] again.”