CHAP. V. LIONS. 247 



thought, flash across me some ten yards ahead, and simul- 

 taneously I heard the imitation of the whistle of one of 

 the commonest bush -birds, which is used by hunters to 

 call one another in cover. In obedience to this signal, I 

 retraced my steps, as that was the only way in which I 

 could reach Umdumela, and found him standing pouring 

 fresh powder into the nipple of his gun, and was told in a 

 whisper that a lioness was lying a few paces in front, I 

 told him that I had seen one jump away just before he 

 whistled, and on looking beyond we saw that the spot 

 where it had been was empty, while a little distance 

 further on we not only found its spoor but that of the 

 buffalo, causing us to examine the ground carefully to 

 discover what had been going on. The track of the lioness 

 led up from below past the spot where the buffalo had 

 been lying until it reached the place where Umdumela 

 saw her. The buffalo had evidently risen in a great 

 hurry, and, as we had not heard it, must have done so 

 previous to our arrival, and then returned on its tracks 

 at a gallop, while on following its spoor we found that the 

 lioness, even in her flight from us, had not resigned the 

 chase, as was shown by her heavy footprints occurring at 

 intervals until we reached the outside. 



The ground on which we found ourselves after emerg- 

 ing from the thicket had no doubt been the bottom 

 through which a river of some size had run at a former 

 period, though the sole remnant of it was a chain of water- 

 holes occurring at intervals, and extending for several 

 miles parallel to the mountain ; great white-stemmed 

 wild figs, and other trees usually only found near running 

 water attested this, while the immensely high tambuti 



