320 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



uttering a peculiar cry, and the superstitious natives 

 said it was the mate of the one we had shot and 

 the father of the one I had poisoned. The brute 

 kept us awake. He might have been a man-eater for 

 all we knew. It was too dark to see him or I would 

 have sent a bullet or a charge of buckshot after 

 him. 



At daybreak we resumed our journey, traced the 

 lion's feet-marks for some way, but he had gone into 

 a ravine so densely matted with thorny bushes, that 

 I could only have followed him by going on all fours, 

 along the tunnelled path which led to his lair. 

 Whilst I was examining this place the comrades of 

 our guide, who had gone on to Mombasa to dispose 

 of the venison, came up. They were carrying a water 

 buck which they had killed. After some trouble I 

 induced them to quarter it, and whilst retaining all 

 the good meat for themselves, to leave the carcase as 

 a bait close to the path leading to the lion's home. 

 Covering it over with grass and bushes to prevent the 

 vultures from seeing it. I left, determined to return 

 later on and try and get a shot at the king of beasts. 

 We reached the camping place about 11 A.M. ; 

 pitched the tent in a group of trees about a quarter 

 of a mile from the nearest water, which was but a 

 stagnant pool, not very inviting in its appearance ; 

 as it was evidently a favourite resort of buffaloes to 

 wallow in, but close by there was a small excavation 

 which yielded good clear water and which would 

 suffice for our wants. After a hasty breakfast I 

 visited all the neighbouring pools ; there were foot- 

 prints of game of all sorts round them, but the 

 hippoos resided in a large " vley " of water some way 



