148 MY SOMALI BOOK 



away unobserved, but the other was soon dislodged 

 and captured without much difficulty. He was a fine 

 little fellow, not more than three weeks old, the Somalis 

 said, with quite a long coat spotted like a pard. 



That night was an exciting one. There were 

 three Somali zaribas near at distances varying from 

 400 yards to a mile. From each in succession, 

 between 7.30 and 9 p.m., came the noise of a sudden 

 uproar, indicating the attack of a lion. From the 

 nearest shouts we gathered that at one zariba at least 

 the attempt had been successful and a sheep been 

 borne off by a triumphant marauder. It would be 

 hard if our zariba alone was to be ignored I We had 

 -a donkey and a goat tied up on opposite sides. At 

 about 10 o'clock I had just laid down when a sudden 

 agonized bray from the unhappy donkey was followed 

 by the sound of a scuffle and fall, to the accompaniment 

 of deep menacing growls. I was up in a moment and 

 at the loop-hole. Unfortunately the donkey had been 

 tied too close to a small tree, with the result that 

 the lions (there were two) had contrived to drag the 

 body partially round the tree, and lying down to feed 

 on the hindquarters, were, in the darkness, concealed 

 behind the carcase and the tree trunk ; sufficiently so, 

 at any rate, to make it impossible to distinguish any- 

 thing definite at which to shoot, even when a lantern 

 was held up above the zariba fence. 



Meanwhile the lions were feasting at a furious rate, 

 the sounds of the tearing of flesh and cracking of bones, 

 with a continuous deep growling, testifying to a 

 horrible orgie. The sight of the lantern merely pro- 

 voked increased growls. I thought of turning on my 



