difficulty, I persuaded my Coolies to follow them up, and, taking the lead, we tracked them into a tamarisk nullah or sorene, running at right angles, and into the bed of the river. The tamarisk resembles the cyprus, and is about the height of a man's head, forming a very thick cover, extending over four or five acres. After a short pause we entered, not knowing but the next step might throw us into the lion's jaws. We, however, beat through without any adventure, and then we discovered that they had stole away; five taking down the bed of the river, the other, which, by the track, apppeared to be a large one, had doubled back into the cover, broke higher, and made up the bed of the Barnasse. This last I determined upon following. We soon tracked it into a small jungle on the edge of the river. I had just entered when I heard a shout, and running round a bush that intercepted my view, I saw an enormous lioness making off with tremendous bounds, I fired and missed her.-I shouted to the Sycee to keep her in sight. He put his horse to its speed, and in a short time returned, and told me she had taken refuge in a large yellow break. He guided me to the spot, and I got within thirty yards. She was couched, and glared on us as we approached. I raised my rifle and fired; she uttered a tremendous roar, and rushed out. I had wounded her in the shoulder, for as she crossed the bed of the river she went on three legs. My Sycee was about to follow, but she turned and pursued him, roaring terribly. He, however, found no difficulty in getting away, and she retreated and took her stand under a single tree, much resembling our thorn, but larger, and called a baubee tree. There she stood in full view, appearing almost as large as a bullock, with her tongue

out, lashing her sides with her tail, and roaring most appallingly. I now sent back all my followers, and cocking my rifle, steadily approached till within thirty yards, when I gave her my fire. I struck her, I believe, in the belly. When she received my shot she lowered her head, and rushed towards me as if mortally wounded, but suddenly, when within ten paces, turned off again, and made down the bed of the river, for a short distance, then crossed to the opposite bank, and entered a large jungle.

"The natives crowded round me, and assured me she had received her death-blow. I was greatly elated, thought her a cowardly skulking beast, and imagined I had nothing to do but take possession of my prize. I quickly re-loaded, and though the sun was at its meridian and the heat was intense, I still pursued on foot. We now entered the jungle into which we had marked her. It was so thick I could hardly see a yard before me. I walked for some time without success; at length one of the Coolies exclaimed, Sahib, sahib; there she be in dat bush.' I now caught sight of her sitting up like a dog, with her tongue out, and glaring on us. I raised my rifle, but my hand shook so, from the excitement and extreme heat, that I felt certain I should miss. I lowered it, and, turning to my shikaree told him he must shoot her. He was a capital shot; I had seen him break a bottle at a hundred yards with a ball. 'No, no, sahib; me no shoot, me afraid me no hit him.' 'I cannot hold the gun steady, so you must shoot,' said I, or we shall both be eaten alive.' I thrust the gun into the poor fellow's hand, and stood close to him to give him courage-he fired, and missed; immediately he threw down his rifle, and fled. The moment the

enraged beast heard the report she rushed out. For a second I paused-then turned and ran for my life. It was a heavy sand, and I had on shoes and gaiters. I could not have run far before I heard her roaring fearfully close behind. I attempted to dodge-my courage died away-my legs failed me-she sprang and dashed me to the earth-the first blow must have been certain death, but her leg being broken she could not strike. She seized me by the lower part of the back-shaking me as a cat would a mouse-lacerating and tearing me dreadfully, then threw me to the ground on my face. She now caught me by the left arm, mumbling and biting me, the agony was so intense that I threw up my right arm and caught her by the ear. She quitted her hold and seized me by the wrist. I inwardly prayed for death to release me. Apparently exhausted she now crouched at full length, one leg resting on my right thigh, the other a little drawn back between my legs-her tongue out, panting like a tired hound, glaring on me full in the face. I had some indistinct feeling at the time that my eye might awe her, and thus with my head raised a little, for she had thrown me on a bank, we lay looking at each other. My native servant, a Sycee, who had been in my service ten years, had now approached to within twelve paces of me. I heard him exclaim, "Oh, massey, massey, what shall I do; the horse will come not nearer." "Turn it loose, and assist me," I uttered in despair; but he came not. "For heaven's sake, Chard Cawn, do not let me die in this manner; save me if you can ;" but still he came not. I reproached him with every term, but could only hear him reply in accents of horror and fear. At length, when sight began to fail and

death appeared inevitable, the monster sprang from me, ran about twenty paces, and fell dead. The whole party now crowded round; they placed me in a cummerbund, and took me to the nearest village. I was almost naked: : my clothes were torn to ribbands. I fainted twice before I arrived there. They washed my wounds with warm water, bound them with linen rag, and put me on a bed, and carried me to my tent. Chard Cawn went off express on one of my camels to a brother officer, Lieutenant Green, who was on a march with a detachment for Deesa. He travelled forty miles before he found him. Green quitted his detachment, and was with me by seven that evening, and he constantly attended to my wants till I recovered. I retain the skull of my formidable antagonist, and have her skin for a foot-cloth, so that with the marks on my flesh, and these trophies, I shall not easily forget my affair with a lioness, and how it cured me of my sporting propensities.

The Willow Crees.

A SWEDISH LEGEND.

F willows there are two kinds; one sticks its twigs and leaves straight up in the air; the other bows them towards the ground as if overcome with sorrow. There was a time, however, when both these willows were alike, and grew as other trees do,

and put forth their twigs and leaves upwards and outwards, like the wide branching oak, the leafy maple, the splendid elm, the beautiful lime-tree, and the white birch.

I will now tell you how this change came about, and you will see that there is something in it, because nothing can be false and untrue, neither man nor child, any more than a tree, without producing a change for the worse in it, and causing great sorrow to those who love it.

Once upon a time, therefore, there were two willow-trees that loved one another, and they stood in all the beauty of their summer foliage, one on each side of the churchyard gate, nodding in the wind. The psalm-singing was just over, and the congregation came out of the church, two and two, and after them came the clergyman talking with his old