“The lioness was a full-grown beast, and the bare and level nature of the plain added to her imposing appearance. Finding that I gained upon her, she reduced her pace from a canter to a trot, carrying her tail slackened behind her, and slewed a little to one side. I shouted loud to her to halt, as I wished to speak with her; upon which she suddenly pulled up, and got upon her haunches like a dog, with her back towards me, not even deigning to look round. She then appeared to say to herself, ‘Does that fellow know who he’s after?’ Having thus sat for half a minute, as if involved in thought, she sprang to her feet, and facing about, stood looking at me for a few seconds, moving her tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth and growling fiercely. She next made a short run forward, making a loud rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate me, and to show her ‘monkey’ was up. My Hottentots now came on, and we all three dismounted, and drawing our rifles from our holsters, we looked to see if the powder was up to the nipples, and put on our caps. While this was doing, the lioness sat up, and showed evident signs of uneasiness. She looked first at us, and then behind her, as if to see if the coast was clear; after which she made a short run towards us, uttering her deep-drawn, murderous growl. Having secured the three horses to one another by the reins, we led them on, as if we intended to pass her, in the hope of obtaining a broadside. My men, as yet, had been steady, but they were in a precious ‘stew,’ their faces having assumed a ghastly paleness, and I had a painful feeling that I could place no reliance on them. “‘Now then for it—neck or nothing! she is within sixty yards of us, and she keeps advancing.’ We turned the horses’ tails to her. I knelt on one side, and taking a steady aim at her breast, let fly. The ball cracked loudly on her tawny hide, and crippled her in the shoulder; upon which she charged with an appalling roar, and, in the twinkling of an eye, she was in the midst of us. She sprung upon Colesberg, one of my men, and fearfully lacerated his ribs and haunches with her horrid teeth and claws; the worst wound was on the haunch, and was most hideous. I was very cool and steady, and did not feel in the least degree nervous, having, fortunately, great confidence in my own shooting; and when the lioness sprang upon my man, I stood out from the horses, ready with my second barrel for the first chance she should give me of a clear shot. This she quickly did, for seemingly, satisfied with the revenge she had now taken, she quitted Colesberg, and slewing her tail to one side, trotted sulkily past within a few paces of me. Taking one step to the left, I pitched my rifle to my shoulder, and, in another second, the lioness lay stretched upon the plain a lifeless corpse.