THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 137 



150 yards into the open. There the kill had been 

 made. 



"Memba Sasa," said I, "he did not attack without 

 reason. He had a good reason. We spoiled a 

 n'gnoma (party). He had here his meat and his bihi 

 (woman), and he did not intend to be disturbed.'' 



So, after all, even this was not a case of a lion 's at- 

 tacking entirely unprovoked! We left the carcass of 

 the zebra as bait for the lioness. 



Near home, just before we dipped to cross the 

 stream to camp, Memba Sasa let out a peculiar sort of 

 howl. Before we had gone 200 feet every man in camp 

 was there, most of them with their faces whitened, 

 dancing wildly the lion dance. It was quick work. 



Spent the afternoon caring for the trophy, paring it 

 down, doping it with alum water, and finally stretching 

 it in a huge frame, which we hoisted in a tree. Made 

 a very mild joke, which lasted the camp some days. 

 One of the Swahili porters was bragging that he liked 

 any kind of meat, lion included. I knew him to be a 

 Mohammedan. 



"Very well," said I, "I will take you with me here- 

 after, and you can hallala the next lion. " * 



The crowd caught many fish. Walked 13 miles; 

 morning, 58; noon, 84; night, 71. Call this mother's 

 birthday lion. 



*As is well known, the Moslem must hallala — cut the throat — of any ani- 

 mal he intends to eat while the beast is still living. 



