“It is yours by the laws of war,” said the Major.

“Nay,” replied Alexander, “it was you that gave him his coup de grace”

“Yes, but if you had not broken his leg, he might have given some of us our coup de grace.  No, no, the skin is yours.  Now the horses are off, and we can not send for the Hottentots.  They have got rid of Omrah, who is coming back with his shirt torn into tatters.”

“The men will catch the horses and bring them here, depend upon it, sir,” said Bremen, “and then they can take off the skin.”

“Well, if I am to have the lion’s skin, I must have that of the lioness also, Major; so we must finish our day’s hunting with forcing her to join her mate.”

“Very good, with all my heart.”

“Better wait till the men come with the horses, sir,” said Bremen; “three guns are too few to attack a lion—­very great danger indeed.”

“Bremen is right, Alexander; we must not run such a risk again.  Depend upon it, if the animal’s leg had not been broken, we should not have had so easy a conquest.  Let us sit down quietly till the men come up.”

In about half an hour, as Bremen had conjectured, the Hottentots, perceiving the horses loose, and suspecting that something had happened, went in chase of them, and as soon as they had succeeded in catching them, brought them in the direction to which they had seen our travelers ride.  They were not a little astonished at so small a party having ventured to attack a lion, and gladly prepared for the attack of the lioness.  Three of the dogs having accompanied them, it was decided that they should be put into the bushes where the lioness was lying when the Major fired at her, so as to discover where she now was; and leaving the lion for the present, they all set off for the first jungle.

The dogs could not find the lioness in the bushes, and it was evident that she had retreated to some other place; and Swanevelt, who was an old lion-hunter, gave his opinion that she would be found in the direction near to where the lion was killed.  They went therefore in that direction, and found that she was in the clump of mimosas to which the lion had first retreated.  The previous arrangement of backing the horses toward where she lay was attempted, but the animals had been too much frightened in the morning by the lion’s attack, to be persuaded.  They reared and plunged in such a manner as to be with difficulty prevented from breaking loose; it was therefore necessary to abandon that plan, and trust to themselves and their numbers.  The clump of trees was surrounded by the party, and the dogs encouraged to go in, which they did, every now and then rushing back from the paws of the lioness.  The Hottentots now fired into the clump at random, and their volleys were answered by the loud roars of the animal, which would not, however, show herself, and half an hour was passed away in this manner.

At last she was perceived at one side of the jungle, by Swanevelt, who fired with effect, for the animal gave a loud roar, and then bounded out, not attempting to rush upon any person, but to make her escape from her assailants.  A volley was fired at her, and one shot took effect, for she fell with her head to the ground, and tumbled right over; but immediately after she recovered herself, and made off for the bushes where she had been first discovered.