THE TOPI CAMP 



Overjoyed at our luck in collecting these animals 

 so promptly, so near camp, and at a time so very pro- 

 pitious for handling the trophies, we set to the job of 

 skinning and cutting up. The able-bodied men all 

 came out from camp to carry in the meat. They 

 appeared grinning broadly, for they had had no meat 

 since leaving the Narossara. Cuninghame and I saw 

 matters well under way, and then went on to where I 

 had seen a cheetah the day before. Hardly were we 

 out of sight when two lions sauntered over the hill 

 and proceeded to appropriate the meat! The two 

 men in charge promptly withdrew. A moment later 

 a dozen porters on their way out from camp topped 

 the hill and began to yell at the lions. The latter 

 then slowly and reluctantly retreated. 



We were very sorry we had not stayed. The valley 

 seemed populated with lions, but in general they 

 were, for some reason, strictly nocturnal. Daytimes 

 they inhabited the fastnesses of the mountain ranges. 

 We never succeeded in tracing them in that large and 

 labyrinthine country; nor at any time could we 

 induce them to come to kills. Either their natural 

 prey was so abundant that they did not fancy ready- 

 killed food; for, what is more likely, the cold nights 

 prevented the odour of the carcasses from carrying 

 far. We heard lions every night; and every morning 

 we conscientiously turned out before daybreak to 



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