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.
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