Рудольф Распе – The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (страница 2)

attention, I thought I heard a rustling noise behind; on turning about

I was almost petrified (as who would not be?) at the sight of a lion,

which was evidently approaching with the intention of satisfying his

appetite with my poor carcase, and that without asking my consent. What

was to be done in this horrible dilemma? I had not even a moment for

reflection; my piece was only charged with swan-shot, and I had no other

about me: however, though I could have no idea of killing such an animal

with that weak kind of ammunition, yet I had some hopes of frightening

him by the report, and perhaps of wounding him also. I immediately let

fly, without waiting till he was within reach, and the report did but

enrage him, for he now quickened his pace, and seemed to approach me

full speed: I attempted to escape, but that only added (if an addition

could be made) to my distress; for the moment I turned about I found a

large crocodile, with his mouth extended almost ready to receive me. On

my right hand was the piece of water before mentioned, and on my left a

deep precipice, said to have, as I have since learned, a receptacle at

the bottom for venomous creatures; in short I gave myself up as lost,

for the lion was now upon his hind-legs, just in the act of seizing

me; I fell involuntarily to the ground with fear, and, as it afterwards

appeared, he sprang over me. I lay some time in a situation which no

language can describe, expecting to feel his teeth or talons in some

part of me every moment: after waiting in this prostrate situation a few

seconds I heard a violent but unusual noise, different from any sound

that had ever before assailed my ears; nor is it at all to be wondered

at, when I inform you from whence it proceeded: after listening for

some time, I ventured to raise my head and look round, when, to my

unspeakable joy, I perceived the lion had, by the eagerness with which

he sprung at me, jumped forward, as I fell, into the crocodile’s mouth!

which, as before observed, was wide open; the head of the one stuck

in the throat of the other! and they were struggling to extricate

themselves! I fortunately recollected my _couteau de chasse_, which was

by my side; with this instrument I severed the lion’s head at one

blow, and the body fell at my feet! I then, with the butt-end of my

fowling-piece, rammed the head farther into the throat of the crocodile,

and destroyed him by suffocation, for he could neither gorge nor eject

it.

Soon after I had thus gained a complete victory over my two powerful

adversaries, my companion arrived in search of me; for finding I did not

follow him into the wood, he returned, apprehending I had lost my way,

or met with some accident.

After mutual congratulations, we measured the crocodile, which was just

forty feet in length.

As soon as we had related this extraordinary adventure to the governor,

he sent a waggon and servants, who brought home the two carcases. The

lion’s skin was properly preserved, with its hair on, after which it

was made into tobacco-pouches, and presented by me, upon our return to

Holland, to the burgomasters, who, in return, requested my acceptance of

a thousand ducats.

The skin of the crocodile was stuffed in the usual manner, and makes a

capital article in their public museum at Amsterdam, where the exhibitor

relates the whole story to each spectator, with such additions as he

thinks proper. Some of his variations are rather extravagant; one of

them is, that the lion jumped quite through the crocodile, and was

making his escape at the back door, when, as soon as his head appeared,

Monsieur the Great Baron (as he is pleased to call me) cut it off,

and three feet of the crocodile’s tail along with it; nay, so little

attention has this fellow to the truth, that he sometimes adds, as soon

as the crocodile missed his tail, he turned about, snatched the _couteau

de chasse_ out of Monsieur’s hand, and swallowed it with such eagerness

that it pierced his heart and killed him immediately!

The little regard which this impudent knave has to veracity makes me

sometimes apprehensive that my _real facts_ may fall under suspicion, by

being found in company with his confounded inventions.

CHAPTER II

_In which the Baron proves himself a good shot – He loses his horse,