CH. viii] A BIG-MANED LION J 89 



where two days before I had sliot tlie Honess. I killed 

 a big bustard, a very handsome, striking-looking bird, 

 larger than a tiu'key, by a rather good shot at two 

 hundred and thirty yards. 



It was now mid-day, and the heat waves quivered 

 above the brown plain. The mirage hung in the 

 middle distance, and beyond it the bold hills rose like 

 mountains from a lake. In mid-afternoon we stopped 

 at a little pool, to give the men and horses water ; and 

 here Kermits horse suddenly went dead lame, and we 

 started it back to camp with a couple of men, while 

 Kermit went forward with us on foot, as we rode round 

 the base of the first koppies. After we liad gone a 

 mile loud shouts called our attention to one of the men 

 who had left with the lame horse. He was nmning 

 back to tell us that they had just seen a big-maned lion 

 walking along in the open plain toward the body of a 

 zebra he had killed the night before. Inmiediately 

 Tarlton and I galloped in the direction indicated, while 

 the heart-broken Kermit ran after us on foot, so as not 

 to miss the fun, the gun-bearers and saises stringing 

 out behind him. In a few minutes Tarlton pointed out 

 the lion, a sj^lendid old fellow, a heavy male with a 

 yellow and black mane ; and after him we went. There 

 was no need to go fast ; he was too burly and too 

 savage to run hard, and we were anxious that our 

 hands should be reasonably steady when we shot. All 

 told, the horses, galloping and cantering, did not take 

 us two miles. 



The lion stopped and lay down behind a bush, .lump- 

 ing off, I took a shot at him at two hundred yards, but 

 only wounded him slightly in one paw, and after a 

 moment's sullen hesitation off' he went, lashing his tail. 

 We mounted our horses and went after him. Tarlton 



