XXIX A BRACE OF IVATERBUCK y^^^ 



and picked up the spoor of one of the remaining lionesses, 

 but, although we heard her call once, we never caught sight 

 of her. We crossed two stony ridges and then lost the 

 track altogether. Accordingly I sent Hyde back for the 

 mule, and we unsuccessfully tried a cast forward, but on 

 the way found a waterbuck, which I wounded. It led 

 us up-hill, and I had just brought it down with another 

 shot, when a second, followed by two cows, came in sight 

 and fell to my first shot. They had both fine heads, 

 though they hardly made up for the loss of a second lion, 

 which I ought to have bagged. 



We found camp at Shunfar Ambu under some fine 

 trees, lower down the river than where we had seen the 

 lions. I spent the afternoon in superintending the pre- 

 parations of the skins and making inquiries about the 

 country, but my guide fiatly refused to take me to 

 Metemmeh, though he said it was only a few hours off. 

 Next morning we followed the river to the furthest 

 point Dedjatch Cubudda had reached and from which 

 he was carried back wounded, and saw several buffalo 

 skulls lying among a number of grass huts put up by 

 his followers. As we had seen no tracks, and there was 

 no green grass here, we circled round to the east, and 

 within a short distance of camp found fresh lion-pugs, 

 which must have been made since we had passed in 

 the morning. These led us away to the hills, where 

 we lost them ; on our way down again I had a long 

 shot at a waterbuck and missed, but was more fortunate 

 with a tora directly afterwards. That night we had a 

 tremendous rain-storm, the water running through my 

 tent in a stream, and soaking everything on the floor. 



