Through unknown African countries; the first expedition from Somaliland to Lake Lamu . their zareba every few nights. I hastened to the placeimmediately, and had my boys build a small zareba, orbushy enclosure, just big enough for myself and anotherman ; and in this pen I made myself as comfortable as pos-sible, with one of my boys beside me to watch. Justbefore sundown a few^ hyenas came out and seemed as ifthey wanted to attack a donkey I had tethered in frontas a bait. I had to keep throwing stones every now andthen to frighten away these pests; but just as it got dark a LION-SHOOTING. 21 g
Through unknown African countries; the first expedition from Somaliland to Lake Lamu . their zareba every few nights. I hastened to the placeimmediately, and had my boys build a small zareba, orbushy enclosure, just big enough for myself and anotherman ; and in this pen I made myself as comfortable as pos-sible, with one of my boys beside me to watch. Justbefore sundown a few^ hyenas came out and seemed as ifthey wanted to attack a donkey I had tethered in frontas a bait. I had to keep throwing stones every now andthen to frighten away these pests; but just as it got dark a LION-SHOOTING. 21 great stampede took place on the part of the hyenas, andthey could be seen fleeing in all directions. I waited breathlessly, as I thought they must have beenfrightened by the lion. Although I gazed intently to seeif I could make out the form of the great beast, nothing-could be seen for some moments. Suddenly there wasa mighty thud, and down went my donkey, all of a heap,to the ground. I raised my rifle, and just as the dustcleared away, I perceived the huge form of a lion stretched. over the body of the prostrate donkey. He was only tenfeet away from, me, so I took aim as nearlv as possibleat the centre of his shoulder. There was a loud reportfrom my eight-bore express, followed by such a terrific roaras only a lion in his native haunts will emit. I have heard it said that outside of menageries the lionsroar is not so thrilling as one might suppose, but this isnot the case. I have never in my life heard anything moremagnificent or awe-inspiring than the roar of a maddenedlion. It makes every fibre in your body tingle, especially 2 2 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. when you hear it at such close quarters as I was at thistime. The beast made one mighty bound for the zareba,evidently maddened by pain. He apparently did not knowthat we were inside, as he did not try to break through theenclosure; but as his body touched it, the fore part of thezareba collapsed. He lay for some m
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Keywords: ., booka, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnaturalhistory
