-* A Lion-Hunt 



starting back in alarm, poiiitetl with wild gestures towards 

 a small clump ot reeds in the water. 



To hear ;md to bolt was the work of an instant, 

 even tor mv reserve carrier Ramadan, a great strong 

 Swahili, who had stood the test on other occasions. 

 Obeying a lirst inn)ulse I followed him ten paces, seized 

 him by the neck, and ordered him to remain. He turned 

 round, his whole body trembling, and went back with 

 me, and we novv sought to make out the lion among the 

 reeds, from which a pool of about live yards' breadth 

 divided us. We could not do so, however, though the 

 men on the other side still motioned to us excitedly that 

 a big lion was there. In another moment something 

 moved among the reeds in Corporal Ellis's direction — his 

 Martini- Henrv rano; out, and a larye lioness, showing 

 that she had l)een grazed, came tor us with a sudden 

 spring. For a second her head otiered me a tair mark, 

 and with a lucky shot at seven or eight paces I brought 

 her down dead. 



The bullet, a 4/5 steel one as usual, settled side- 

 ways in the nape of the neck, killing immediately, as 

 always happens with such shots. I have preserved it 

 in my collection of S-millimetre bullets as a souvenir of 

 the occasion. 



My joy was intense! The corporal congratulated me 

 heartily, and our return was heralded by all the men with 

 shouts of glee. Twelve men carried our booty back to 

 the camp. In the stomach we found the remains of a 

 zebra. 



After a quick breakfast we set out again to shoot 



^61 



