78 ADVENTURE WITH A LION.

ing thither; but having tried twice, I was forced in again by con-
trary winds, the sea also going too high for my little vessel, so I
resolved to pursue my first design and keep along the shore.
Several times I was obliged to land for fresh water after we had
left this place; and once in particular, being early in the morning,
we came to an anchor under a little point of land which was pretty
high, “and the
tide beginning to
flow, we lay still
to go further in.
Xury, whose eyes
were more about
sg him than it seems
s mine were, calls
softly to me, and
tells me that we
had best go
further off the
shore : —“ For,”
says he, “look, yonder lies a dreadful monster on the side of
that hillock fast asleep.” I looked where he pointed, and saw
a dreadful monster indeed; for it was a terrible great lion that
lay on the side of the shore, under the shade of a piece of the
hill, that hung as it were a little over him. ‘ Xury,” says I, “you
shall go on shore and kill him.” Xury looked frightened, and said,
“Me kill! he eat me at one mouth ’”—one mouthful, he meant.
However, I said no more to the boy, but bade him lie still; and I
took our biggest gun, which was almost musket-bore, and loaded
it with a good charge of powder and with two slugs, and laid it
down; then I loaded another gun with two bullets; and the third
—for we had three pieces—I loaded with five smaller bullets. I
took the best aim I could with the first piece to have shot him
into the head, but he lay so with his leg raised a little above his
nose, that the slugs hit his leg about the knee, and broke the bone. -
He started up, growling at first; but finding his leg broke, fell
down again; and then got up upon three legs, and gave the most
hileous roar that ever I heard. I was a little surprised that I had

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“‘w CAME TO AN ANCHOR UNDER A LITTLE POINT OF LAND.”