HUNTING IN AFRICA igs 
breaking camp in much excitement. Two lions had jumped 
the high thorn boma, landed in the middle of the packed 
herd, and, of course, stampeded the lot. The maddened 
beasts burst their way through the double fence of wattle 
houses and thorn barriers, and were at the mercy of the 
lions. “Two of them were quickly pulled down, one of these 
was carried into the long grass, some two hundred yards 
away, and there was devoured at leisure. From the other, 
the Massai with spears and fire drove the lion off. This 
all happened in the early morning, and when we came up, 
the Massai had bled the bullock, and carefully, as they 
do, preserved the blood for drinking. 
Now we were out of meat, and so tried to buy that 
bullock’s fat hunk.. No, they would not sell. But our 
three moran (warriors) brought along with them an appe- 
tizing shoulder and brisket. They had their potio, as 
was their due, that night, but though they ate that, they 
kept their beef and offered us nothing. Next day I had 
a most interesting talk with one of them, and learned 
from my “warrior” more about their customs and 
views on things in general, than I had been able to pick 
up in eight months’ previous travel. When dinner time 
came the fat brisket was set to roast on a stick leaning 
over the coals. I noticed a brief consultation going on 
among the three, and then one of them said, “‘We have 
cdten your potio, this is good meat, take half.” ‘That 
evening was an interesting one. We sat and chatted and 
explained things all round, tried to make them say “‘Oryx,” 
(natives find the x sound almost impossible), while they, 
in turn, defeated us with their gutturals. Before we 
turned in, they made an evidently sincere request that 
when buffalo had come back and the rains were over, we 
would give them another chance of guiding us to where 
we should find a big head. Very intelligent, with a certain 
dash of independence, that other natives lack, I always 
