TO THE UASIN GISHU 357 



From the moment when he charged until his death I 

 doubt whether ten seconds had elapsed, perhaps less; but 

 what a ten seconds! The first half dozen spears had done 

 the work. Three of the spear blades had gone clear through 

 the body, the points projecting several inches; and these, 

 and one or two others, including the one he had seized in 

 his jaws, had been twisted out of shape in the terrible death 

 struggle. 



We at once attended to the two wounded men. Treat- 

 ing their wounds with antiseptic was painful, and so, 

 while the operation was in progress, I told them, through 

 Kirke, that I would give each a heifer. A Nandi prizes 

 his cattle rather more than his wives; and each sufferer 

 smiled broadly at the news, and forgot all about the pain of 

 his wounds. 



Then the warriors, raising their shields above their 

 heads, and chanting the deep-toned victory song, marched 

 with a slow, dancing step around the dead body of the lion; 

 and this savage dance of triumph ended a scene of as fierce 

 interest and excitement as I ever hope to see. 



The Nandi marched back by themselves, carrying the 

 two wounded men on their shields. We rode to camp by 

 a roundabout way, on the chance that we might see another 

 lion. The afternoon waned and we cast long shadows 

 before us as we rode across the vast lonely plain. The 

 game stared at us as we passed; a cold wind blew in our 

 faces, and the tall grass waved ceaselessly; the sun set be- 

 hind a sullen cloud bank; and then, just at nightfall, the 

 tents glimmered white through the dusk. 



Tarlton's partner, Newland also an Australian, and 

 as fine a fellow as Tarlton himself once had a rather 



