“She was hit hard that time, at all events,” said the Major.

“Yes, sir,” said Bremen, “that was her deathshot, I should think; but she is not dead yet, and may give us a great deal of trouble.”

They followed her as fast as they could on foot, and the dogs were soon upon her again; the animal continued to roar, and always from the same spot; so that it was evident she was severely wounded.  Alexander and the Major reserved their fire, and approached to where the dogs were baying, not twenty yards from the jungle.  Another roar was given, and suddenly the body of the lioness rushed through the air, right in the direction where they stood; she passed, however, between them, and when she reached the ground, she fell on her side, quite dead.  It was her last expiring effort, and she died in the attempt.  Alexander and the Major, who were both ready to fire, lowered their rifles when they perceived that she was dead.

“Well,” said the Major, “I will say that when I first saw her tail, I was more frightened than I was just now, when she made the spring; I was so taken by surprise.”

“I don’t doubt it.  She is a very large animal, and will make a handsome companion to the lion.  If we live and do well, and get home to England again, I will have her stuffed along with him, and put them in the same case.”

“I trust you will, and that I shall come and see them,” replied the Major.

“I am sure I do, from my heart, my good fellow.  I am very much pleased at our having killed both these beasts, without Swinton being with us, as he would have been persuading us to leave them alone.”

“And he would have done very right,” replied the Major.  “We are two naughty boys, and shall be well scolded when we go back.”

“Which I vote we do now.  I think we have done quite enough for to-day.”

“Yes, indeed,” replied the Major, mounting his horse; “enough to talk of all our lives.  Now let us gallop home, and say nothing about having killed the lions until the Hottentots bring them to the caravan.”

CHAPTER XXV.

“Well, what sport have you had?” was Swinton’s first question when he was joined by Alexander and the Major.  Replied the latter—­“Pretty well; we saw an antelope quite new to us, which we tried very hard to shoot, but were prevented by an unexpected meeting with a lioness.”  The Major then gave an account of his perceiving the tail of the lioness, and his rapid retreat.

“I am very glad to hear that you were so prudent, Major; it would have been a very rash thing to attack a lioness with only three guns.  So the antelopes escaped?”

“Yes, but we have the elands, which you say are such good eating.  Do we stay here any longer, or do we proceed up the river?”

“You must ask Wilmot to decide that point,” said Swinton.

“It is just as you please,” said Alexander; “but they say that the more you go to the northward, the more plentiful is the game.”