74 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



our horses to try to ride him down. The plain sloped 

 gently upward for three-quarters of a mile to a low crest or 

 divide, and long before we got near him he disappeared 

 over this. Sir Alfred and Kermit were tearing along in 

 front and to the right, with Miss Pease close behind; while 

 Tranquillity carried me, as fast as he could, on the left, 

 with Medlicott near me. On topping the divide Sir Al- 

 fred and Kermit missed the lion, which had swung to the 

 left, and they raced ahead too far to the right. Medlicott 

 and I, however, saw the lion, loping along close behind some 

 kongoni; and this enabled me to get up to him as quickly as 

 the lighter men on the faster horses. The going was now 

 slightly downhill, and the sorrel took me along very well, 

 while Medlicott, whose horse was slow, bore to the right 

 and joined the other two men. We gained rapidly, and, 

 rinding out this, the lion suddenly halted and came to bay 

 in a slight hollow, where the grass was rather long. The 

 plain seemed flat, and we could see the lion well from horse- 

 back; but, especially when he lay down, it was most diffi- 

 cult to make him out on foot, and impossible to do so when 

 kneeling. 



We were about a hundred and fifty yards from the lion, 

 Sir Alfred, Kermit, Medlicott, and Miss Pease of! to one 

 side, and slightly above him on the slope, while I was on 

 the level, about equidistant from him and them. Kermit 

 and I tried shooting from the horses; but at such a distance 

 this was not effective. Then Kermit got off, but his horse 

 would not let him shoot; and when I got off I could not 

 make out the animal through the grass with sufficient 

 distinctness to enable me to take aim. Old Ben the dog 

 had arrived, and, barking loudly, was strolling about near 



