SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 1 59 



our guns and went off to stalk them. The elephants 

 were walking towards the south, following the main 

 body of the herd which had passed very early in the 

 morning. Our object was to cut them off on their 

 way, and Barrakee led us sometimes over the low 

 hills, and sometimes round the sides of them, and we 

 gradually approached nearer the two elephants, who 

 were moving along swinging their trunks about, and 

 sometimes stopping to pick off a bit of a shrub which 

 looked more dainty than the rest. At last there 

 was only one little hill for us to go over, and to cross 

 it would bring us right across the path of the two 

 elephants. We were creeping along very quietly 

 when, as we came to a few rocks, where, in the 

 rainy season, a torrent evidently poured down, Bar- 

 rakee stopped suddenly and said, " Ambasa !" which 

 is Amharic for lion. I snatched hold of my Express, 

 rushed up and saw a fine male lion moving slowly 

 away among the rocks. At the moment I was going 

 to fire, H. came up and fired his heavy rifle close 

 behind me ; both barrels went off at once, and I thought 

 at first I was shot, as nine drams of powder is rather 

 a large charge to be let off close to one's ear. I missed 

 the lion ; so did H. I loaded again and ran after 

 him and fired, and missed. The elephants, which were 

 not more than forty or fifty yards off, went off in 

 another direction, and the lion, passing through some 



