vm AN EVENTFUL XMAS DAY 95 



lowed the safari. By the way, I heard afterwards 

 that a sportsman did come out to this very part a 

 few days later on, and meeting a huge, solitary 

 eland shot it. It turned out to be one of the 

 biggest heads ever bagged in East Africa, so I 

 have no doubt that it was the one I saw. 



We now turned off a little to the right of the 

 direction in which the safari was going, hoping 

 that we might be lucky enough to meet with lions 

 on the way. At about 1 1 a.m. we unexpectedly 

 reached the banks of the stream which the guides had 

 told me about, and forded it without any difficulty. 

 We did not, however, see much game about, at least 

 nothing which we wished to shoot, so, soon after 

 crossing the stream, we turned again to the left and 

 headed for the safari. We noticed now that it had 

 come to a halt, as some of the tents were being put 

 up. I could not understand this, as I had given no 

 orders that camp was to be pitched so early. As 

 soon as we reached the men, I rode up to the 

 Headman and asked him what the meaning of it 

 was. He told me that he thought we should 

 want to stay and hunt here, because, as the safari 

 approached the river, a lion, three lionesses, and 

 five cubs suddenly jumped out from the reeds close 

 by ! The lion and two of the lionesses trotted off 

 across the plain, while the third, with the cubs, 

 took refuse in the reeds beside the river. 



