Part 32 (1/2)
”Look at the beautiful dying eye of that noble beast Is it not speaking?”
”Yes, i for mercy, as it were, poor creature”
”Well, these three beasts, that they say are such good eating, weigh boks, I grant Well, what shall we do now?”
”Let our horses get their wind again, and then ill see if we can fall in with soame”
”I sao or three antelopes, of a very different sort froround We will go that way as soon as the Hottentots coame”
”Does Swinton want to preserve one of these creatures?”
”I believe not, they are so very bulky He says we shall find plenty as we go on, and that he will not encuons with a skin until we leave the Val River, and turn homeward Now, Bremen and Omrah, come with us”
The Major and Alexander then turned their horses' heads, and rode slowly toward the hill which they had noticed, and the antelopes which the Major had observed were now seen a the bushes which crowned the hill Bremen said that he did not know the animals, and the Major was most anxious to obtain one to surprise Swinton with As soon as they came within two hundred yards of the bushes on the other side of which the antelopes were seen, the Major gave his horse to O one doith his rifle He gained the bushes without alar the ani hishim every moment to fire, when the Major suddenly turned round and came back at a hurried pace
”What is the rowth for all my life,” replied the Major
”If eversoftly, and step by step, toward the antelopes, and was just raising round three or four yards before me I looked down, and it was the tail of a lioness, which fortunately was so busy watching the antelopes with her head the other way, that she did not perceivenear her; whereupon I beat a retreat, as you have witnessed”
”Well, what shall we do now?”
”Wait a little till I have recovered ed upon her Swinton is not here to preach prudence, and have a lion-hunt I will”
”With allto attack the lioness”
”Yes, sir,” said Bremen; ”then we had better follow Cape fashi+on We will back the horses toward her, and Omrah will hold them while ill attack her I think one only had better fire, so we keep two guns in reserve”
”You are right, Bremen,” said Alexander ”Then you and I will reserve our fire, and the Major shall try his rifle upon her”
With some difficulty the horses were backed toward the bush, until the Major could again distinguish where the lioness lay, at about sixty paces' distance The ania, for her tail and hind-quarters were toward them The Major fired, and the animal bounded off with a loud roar; while the antelopes fleay like the wind The roar of the lioness was answered by a deep growl from another part of the bush, and immediately afterward a lion bolted out, and bounded frorove about a quarter of a mile off
”What a splendid animal!” said Alexander; ”look at his black round”
”Weon his horse
Alexander, Bremen, and Omrah did the same, and they followed the lion, which stood at bay under thethe manner It appeared, however, that he did not like their appearance, or was not satisfied with his own position, for as they advanced he retreated at a slow pace, and took up his position on the summit of a stony hill close by, the front of which was thickly dotted with low thorn-bushes The thorn-bushes extended about 200 yards fro the party as they approached toward hi, with a conscious pride in his oers, to dare them to approach him
They dismounted from their horses as soon as they arrived at the thorn-bushes, and the Major fired The rifle-ball struck the rock close to the lion, who replied with an angry growl The Major then took the gun froain the ball struck close to the aniry roar; and by the glistening of his eyes, and the i of his tail, it was evident that he would soon becoain,” said Alexander, ”and then let uns were loaded, Alexander took ai, which he raised up with a voice of thunder, andfrom the rock tohere our party stood
”Steady now,” cried the Major to Bre his spare rifle to Alexander
The rush of the angry ani nearer and nearer; and they all stood prepared for the encounter At last out the aniht out, and his eyeballs flashi+ng rage and vengeance He came down upon the hind-quarters of one of the horses, which i O broken, had occasioned the animal to roll off on the side of the horse, and he now re, when he received a shot through the back from Bremen, who stood behind him
The lion, with another dreadful roar, atte upon the Major, as ready with his rifle to receive hih his spine and paralyzed his hind-quarters, and hehis fore-quarters up in the air, and then falling down again, when a bullet froh his brain The noble beast sunk down, gnawing the ground and tearing it with the claws of the leg which had not been wounded, and then, in a few seconds, breathed his last