THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



l8l 



in the night. Within the first 200 yards 1 counted 

 twenty-six topi and wildebeeste. For three hours we 

 ranged and quartered the undulating hills. There was 

 plenty of several sorts of game ; but no lions. 



"Memba Sasa," said I, "if we find lions here, it is 

 just luck. There are very many waterholes and very 

 many pieces of cover. Lions could drink anywhere, 

 and lie down anywhere; and unless we had great luck 

 we would not run across them." 



While I was saying these words a lioness thrust her 

 head up from a clump of small bush twenty yards ahead 

 of us. Some of the porters saw her first, and raised a 

 great fuss. I had the .405 Winchester in my hand and 

 immediately took a shot at the middle of her chest. 

 She flipped backward off the ant heap on the top of 

 which she had been lying. A flying shot missed her as 

 she fell. She whirled back from the edge of the thicket 

 and charged at me, snarling with rage, but before she 

 had hit her stride three rapidly delivered shots stopped 

 her. 



Almost the same instant a male lion emerged from 

 the other side of the thicket and trotted slowly away. 

 Evidently he had not seen us, but the noise and row 

 had disturbed his siesta, and he was going to a more 

 peaceful locality. We thought we caught a glimpse of 

 a lioness just ahead of him ; but could not be sure. 



We trotted along after, tr\'ing to strike a happy 

 medium in speed that would take us near enough to 



