240 THE LAND OF THE Dion 
Five o’clock tea, the most pleasant of all the incidents 
in a pleasant day, was just over, when in rushed a “boy” 
to say that two great lions (stmba koubwa) were feeding on 
a kongoni not half a mile away. He was a thoughtful 
fellow too, for he had left his comrade (they always go out 
from camp two and two) up a tree, marking them. 
We had come down from the high veldt into a grassy and 
bushy country most unsuitable for riding. J. J. W. had that 
morning come on two fine lions, and had very wisely refused 
to let his syce or his hunter attempt to ride. And when I 
swung on to my faithful mule, I had no intention on earth 
of “riding” these lions just reported to me nor I think had 
H. We simply mounted as the men brought our riding 
animals round, because we could see better from their 
backs. 
It was quickly arranged that J. J. W. should go with 
his man, cautiously up to the kill, and H. and I and my 
mounted syce, swung far off to the right, just in case the 
lions might slip off that way, wounded or not. 
From a distance we watched our friends approach the 
kill, the boy in the tree signalling to them the place. They 
drew up to it, looked around. No shot rang out. The lions 
had cleared. Where? We cantered forward on a chance, 
the going very bad. Rocky ridges, bushes crowded together, 
and long grass. A mere chance if we see them atall. Right 
to the rear of the kill, some six hundred yards back of it, 
there was a narrow clear grass ridge. As we looked, there 
surely—yes, there were two very fine males, racing side by 
side across it, and almost directly athwart our front. 
That sight was, I fear, too much for us. Anyway, 
with a yell we plunged forward and once going there was no 
holding back. How amid that labyrinth of bushes and grass 
we held them I don’t know. It was indeed a hard bit of riding. 
But by dint of “going it blind” we did. J. J. W.’s syce had 
come up on my left. He was very well mounted and rode 
