upon him."

"What a terrible position!"

"Yes; but I may here observe that the lion was induced to seize the man
in consequence of their coming so completely in contact, and, as it
were, for self-defense. Had they been further apart, the lion would, as
usually is the case, have walked away; and, moreover, the eye of the man
being so close to him had, at the same time, more power over the lion,
so as to induce him to shut his own. But to continue--

"As they stood in this position, Gyt recovered his presence of mind, and
beckoned to his comrade to advance with his gun and shoot the lion
through the head. This might easily have been done, as the animal
continued still with his eyes closed, and Gyt's body concealed any
object approaching. But his comrade was a cowardly scoundrel, and,
instead of coming to Gyt's assistance, he cautiously crawled up a rock
to secure himself from any danger. For a long while Gyt continued
earnestly to entreat his comrade by signs to come to his assistance--the
lion continuing all this while perfectly quiet--but in vain."

"How my blood boils at the conduct of this scoundrel," said the Major;
"admitting his first impulse to have been fear, yet to allow his comrade
to remain in that position so long a while covers him with infamy."

"I think if Gyt escaped, he must have felt very much inclined to shoot
the wretch himself."

"The lion-hunters affirm that, if Gyt had but persevered a little
longer, the animal would have at last released his hold and left Gyt
uninjured; that the grip of the lion was more from fear that the man
would hurt him, than from any wish to hurt the man; and such is my
opinion. But Gyt, indignant at the cowardice of his comrade, and losing
patience with the lion, at last drew his hunting-knife, which all the
boors invariably carry at their side, and with all the power of his
right arm thrust it into the lion's breast.

"The thrust was a deadly one, for it was aimed with judgment, and Gyt
was a bold and powerful man; but it did not prove effectual so as to
save Gyt's life, for the enraged lion, striving in his death agonies to
grapple with Gyt,--held at arm's length by the strength of desperation
on the part of the boor,--so dreadfully lacerated with his talons the
breast and arms of poor Gyt, that his bones were left bare.

"At last the lion fell dead, and Gyt fell with him. His cowardly
companion, who had witnessed this fearful struggle from the rock, now
took co