THE LION 213 



a yellow maned lion of equal size but less conspicuous. We 

 could form no idea of the number of lions on the hill, but we 

 were all wildly excited by the prospect of the numbers which 

 had been seen. Our position was an exposed one on the 

 open plain, past which the lions would flee only if driven 

 by the beaters. At the eleventh hour I was sent over to the 

 cover of the spit of scattered bushes to turn the game into 

 the plain if it used this, the only bit of cover available. 

 My position placed me between the lions and the camp 

 toward which it was thought they would not attempt to 

 flee. Several of them came out of their cover on the hilltop 

 and surveyed me and my gun-bearers as we stood clustered 

 about the base of a gouty little tree. These great, wily 

 brutes were displaying a very intelligent interest in our 

 movements, and I have no doubt but that the leaders of 

 the troop had decided at all events not to escape by way 

 of the open route past Rainey and his formidable array 

 of gun-bearers and photographic assistants. When hard 

 pressed by the beaters they left the hill in a pack, coming 

 down the hill in close formation like a herd of sheep. They 

 came down at a fast trot directly toward me, led by one of 

 the lionesses. The two maned lions were the rear-guards. 

 Rainey and his men were in action as soon as the lions had 

 reached the plain, speeding toward them on their horses at 

 a terrific pace. The two maned lions upon observing these 

 hostile movements turned back into the hill and were never 

 again seen. The rest of the troup numbering approxi- 

 mately sixteen, kept on their course along the spit of scat- 

 tered bushes toward my position. They came past me at a 

 swinging trot in a long line one hundred and fifty yards 

 away. It was my duty to turn them toward the hunting 



