Omrah, who had sense enough to lie still, had yet his eyes sufficiently opened to see what was going on; and as the lion appeared to be looking at the scattered party, in a direction away from him, Omrah made one or two turns over, so as to get further off, hoping that he might escape unperceived.  The lion, however, heard the rustling, and turning round growled at him, and Omrah remained still again.  As Big Adam’s feet were turned toward Omrah, the lion now took up his position, deliberately lying down at full length upon Big Adam’s body, with his hind-quarters upon the Hottentot’s face, so that he not only secured his prisoner, but watched Omrah, who lay about three yards from him.

In the mean time the anxiety of the other party may be imagined; they considered that Big Adam and Omrah must be sacrificed.  It was proposed to fire with good aim, so as, if possible, to bring the animal’s attention and indignation upon themselves; but Swinton cried out not to fire on any account.  “The animal is not hungry or even angry,” said Swinton.  “If let alone, he will probably walk away without doing them injury.  At all events, our firing will be the signal for their destruction.”

The advice of Swinton was considered good, especially as it was backed by that of Bremen, who also said that the lion was not hungry, and that, by the way in which he, moved his tail, he was evidently more inclined to play than any thing else.

But in the mean time the pressure of the lion, whose weight was enormous, was not only more than Big Adam could bear, but the hind-quarters of the animal being over his face prevented him from breathing; and at last he was compelled to struggle to get his head clear.  The consequence of his struggling was a severe bite on the leg, inflicted on poor Adam; not, however, in a furious manner; for the lion merely caught at him as a cat would at a mouse, to prevent its escape, or because it was not quite dead.  However, Big Adam had so far disengaged his head that he could now breathe; and as the party kept crying out to him to lie still, he continued so to do, although nearly suffocated with the enormous weight of the animal.

Omrah, who had remained still during all this time, perceiving that the lion was licking the blood which flowed from the wound in Big Adam’s leg, thought that he might as well try another roll over, and being on his back, he turned over on his face away from the lion.  Thereupon the lion rose from off Big Adam, walked up to Omrah, and, to the horror of our travelers, took up the boy by his waistcloth, and, carrying him like a small bundle in his mouth, went back to Big Adam, and laying Omrah close down to the Hottentot’s head, again took up his position on his body; now, however, with his paws upon the Hottentot’s breast, so that he might keep Omrah in view before him.  Little Omrah had sense enough not to move during the time that the lion carried him, or after he was laid down.