382 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



nocturnal. By day they inhabited the fastnesses 

 of the mountain ranges. We never succeeded 

 in tracing them in that large and labyrinthine 

 country ; nor at any time could we induce them 

 to come to kills. Either their natural prey was 

 so abundant that they did not fancy ready- 

 killed food ; or, what is more likely, the cold 

 nights prevented the odour of the carcasses from 

 carrying far. We heard lions every night ; and 

 every morning we conscientiously turned out 

 before daybreak to crawl up to our bait through 

 the wet, cold grass, but with no results. That 

 very night we were jerked from a sound sleep 

 by a tremendous roar almost in camp. So close 

 was it that it seemed to each of us but just out- 

 side the tent. We came up all standing. The 

 lion, apparently, was content with that prac- 

 tical joke, for he moved off quietly. Next morn- 

 ing we found where the tracks had led down to 

 water, not ten yards away. 



We spent the rest of that day spying on the 

 game herds. It is fascinating work, to lie belly 

 down on a tall ant hill, glasses steadied by elbows, 

 picking out the individual animals and discuss- 

 ing them low- voiced with a good companion. C. 

 and I looked over several hundred hartebeeste, 

 trying to decide their identity. We were neither 



