He gave a convulsive bound, but rolled over backwards:
before he could recover himself, I fired the left-hand barrel. It
was a glorious sight. I had advanced a few steps into the glade,
and Hassan had quickly handed me a spare rifle, while Taher Noor
stood by me sword in hand. The lion in the greatest fury, with
his shaggy mane bristled in the air, roared with death-like
growls, as open-mouthed he endeavoured to charge upon us; but he
dragged his hind-quarters upon the ground, and I saw immediately
that the little Fletcher had broken his spine. In his tremendous
exertions to attack, he rolled over and over, gnashing his
horrible jaws, and tearing holes in the sandy ground at each blow
of his tremendous paws, that would have crushed a man's skull
like an egg-shell. Seeing that he was hors de combat, I took it
coolly, as it was already dusk, and the lion having rolled into
a dark and thick bush, I thought it would be advisable to defer
the final attack, as he would be dead before morning. We were not
ten minutes' walk from the camp, at which we quickly arrived, and
my men greatly rejoiced at the discomfiture of their enemy, as
they were convinced that he was the same lion that had attempted
to enter the zareeba.
Pages:
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503