Hunting in East Africa 



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.450, and fired at the moving form. The white 

 soil and the bright moon actually enabled me 

 to distinguish the yellow color of its skin. A 

 loud growl answered the report of my rifle, and 

 I could see the white salt of the plain fly as 

 the Jion ran round and round in a circle, like a 

 kitten after its tail. I fired my second barrel 

 and the lion disappeared. The wildbeest had 

 made off at the first shot. I tried, in the 

 eagerness of youth, to follow the lion in the 

 bush ; but soon common sense came to my 

 rescue, and warned me that in this dark growth 

 the chances were decidedly in favor of the 

 lion's getting me, and so gave up the chase. 

 Now, if I had only waited till the great cat 

 had got one of the wildbeest, I feel pretty 

 sure I should have been able to dispose of it 

 at my leisure. When I returned to camp, I 

 ungratefully lost sight of the good luck I had 

 had, and gnashed my teeth at the thought 

 that I had missed bringing home a lion and 

 an elephant. I was not destined to see a lion 

 again on this journey, but my annoyance at 

 my ill fortune was often whetted by hearing 

 them roar. 



However, by good luck and by George's 

 help, I succeeded in securing one elephant. 



47 



