away, broke through the opening circle and escaped unhurt. The
men were afraid to attack him, perhaps on account of their belief in
witchcraft.

When the circle was re-formed we saw two other lions in it; but we were
afraid to fire lest we should strike the men, and they allowed the
beasts to burst through also. If the Bakatla 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 them to kill one of the
lions, we bent our footsteps toward 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 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 anyone else shoot at him, but I saw the lion's tail erected
in anger behind the bush, and, turning to the people said, "Stop a
little, till I load again." When in the act of ramming down the bullets
I heard a shout. Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just
in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height; he caught
my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together.
Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a
rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt
by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of
dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror,
though quite conscious of all that was happening. It was like what
patients partially under the influence of chloroform describe, who see
all the operation, but feel not the knife.

This singular condition was not the result of any mental process. The
shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round
at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals
killed by the carnivora; and if so, is a merciful provision by our
benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning round to
relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head,
I saw his eyes directed to Mabalwe, who was trying to shoot him at a
distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in
both barrels; the lion immediately left me, and, attacking Mebalwe, bit
his thigh. Anot