CHAPTER XII 



Nort.hwai'd to Ogo-Guban — -Ostriches : a stratagem from Shakespeare — 

 Birds out of place — Grey jackal — Dik-dik — The cattle country — " Spur- 

 fowl " — Gebili — Absence of game — A big tortoise — ^Ticks — Sonny and 

 the other babies — Balls of fluff — Khobar of two big lions : on their 

 tracks : not this time — Thinking for himself — Asa hills : " conies " — 

 Tracks of elephants — Barka Hagar — Loss of lynx kitten — A night to be 

 remembered : an audacious visitor : lioness or leopard ? — No. 2 : a 

 beautifid leopard — An ominous sound : ivardbas waiting fgr the end — 

 Daylight : No. 1 : all that was left of a big leopard — The day's resources : 

 The sound of the trumpet — Marodi — An audience of Royalty : elephants 

 at close quarters — Greater kudu — A would-bo robber. 



The following morning we broke up camp and marched 

 northwards. Sonny, the lion-cub, travelling on camel- 

 back in a basket one of the men made for him. He 

 was beginning to feel much more cheerful, and had 

 nearly forgotten his mother. 



Crossing a corner of the hmi, we saw a pair of 

 ostriches in the distance which I endeavoured to stalk 

 on the principle of Birnam Wood and Dunsinane, 

 crawling behind Henduleh, who carried a bush in front 

 to shield us both, stopping every time one of the birds 

 raised its head. But in spite of our guile we were 

 still some 400 yards distant when they took alarm 

 and were off, flapping wings helping them along, 

 dodging continually to one side or the other as if fully 

 aware of the nature of the leaden pursuer they had to 

 fear. I fired a couple of shots at the cock, but, of 

 course, it was hopeless. 



With the exception, perhaps, of one or two forest 



