THE LION 199 



were now about a mile from the party at the donga and above 

 them on the hill side and getting near the top of the spruit we 

 were going to draw down, when we both reined up and Hill 

 looking towards the ridge (towards Bondoni) said "what are 

 those?" I saw two objects in the distance near the sky hne and 

 said "they look rather like ostriches." Hill said "are you 

 sure?" and I got out my glasses: he said "I am sure they are 

 lions" just as I with my glasses came to the same conclusion. 

 We at once sent the boys off to inform the main party, and off we 

 started for nearer inspection, discussing where we could turn 

 them to. We both agreed there was a chance of their stopping 

 in the cheetah bush if we could get their heads turned that way. 

 We were galloping fast and the lions were galloping too; but the 

 rear lion, slower and fatter than the other, was getting behind: 

 so I suggested not pressing them too much, and Hill also thought 

 that if we kept well to the left behind them they would be more 

 likely to stop in the cheetah bush donga. "Anyway we must 

 not let them get up Wami," he said. After going thus about a 

 mile, and the heavy slow lion who objected to being hurried 

 losing ground all the time. Hill said "look here, I will take the 

 leading lion, you stick to the big one" and off he went to get on 

 terms with the fast Hon now 34 n^ile ahead of the other. 



My lion went very slowly down to the donga, and the other 

 lion and Hill were going up Wami side when my lion reached it. 

 I lost sight of him for a minute here and as I was rather near and 

 did not like the look of him I pulled up and waited to see him 

 come out hardly expecting he would go any further. I was a 

 minute or two watching the spot where he had gone into the 

 donga and then saw that he had come out further down and was 

 rapidly catching up to the leading lion. Hill was now Yi ^ niile 

 ahead of me, so I just put pace on and caught up with him. 

 Both the lions were now turning off Wami and my lion had now 

 passed Hill's lion and I was thinking of nothing else but where 

 they would stand and guessed it would be in the little donga 

 (towards Theki) when Hill called my attention to Grey and How- 

 ard Pease, who I saw to my surprise galloping hard directly behind 

 the lions, perhaps 350 yards behind, but gaining on them. Hill 

 shouted to me "They will drive them right up Wami; we must 



