64 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



breakfast, I was so fascinated by the lion stories which 

 an old villager was telling in camp, that I decided to 

 have another try, more especially as my men declared 

 they had heard roaring during the night. Just about 

 lunch-time, the syce came in to say that three men had 

 driven off my only mule and donkey. This was pleasant — 

 left in the jungle, apparently among a lot of thieves, with 

 nothing to ride, without money, but few cartridges, with 

 only two day's food for my men and myself, and with the 

 caravan going away from us at the rate of two marches 

 a day. The old villager, however, proved our friend ; 

 he declared he knew who the thieves were and where 

 they lived ; so, arming Ali and two other men, I sent 

 them off in pursuit. I was now left with only one 

 camel-man and my boy in camp, for the man sent after 

 the money had not yet returned. In the evening a 

 little herd of aul came in sight, and although firing on 

 lion-ground is a bad thing, still, as I had no meat or 

 anything to buy it with, I went out and shot one. Just 

 at dusk my men returned, having tracked the thieves 

 to a village a long way off, where they found the mule 

 hidden in a hut, and the donkey grazing outside. After 

 a good deal of threatening, the people gave them up. 

 Immediately on their return I started for the zariba, 

 which we did not reach till seven o'clock. Four times 

 we heard lion roaring, but none came within half a mile. 

 A herd of elephants were feeding in the jungle close by, 

 and the noise they made as they broke off branches 

 effectually spoiled our chance of any lion. At 5.30 

 next morning I packed up camp and started after the 

 main caravan. In about three hours' time we struck 



