rx THE LION 187 



Suddenly, as I was only half emerged from a line of dark green 

 nabbuk, I was surprised by a short roar close to me, and I im- 

 mediately saw the shoulders and the hinder portion of a lion, the 

 head being concealed by the bush, from which I had not completely 

 emerged. I could have touched it by stretching out my rifle, but 

 personally I was quite unobserved. There was not a moment to 

 lose, and I fired through the centre of the shoulder. With a short 

 roar the lion disappeared; there was a rushing sound in the bushes, 

 and almost immediately another lion occupied the exact position 

 that had been quitted by the lioness. They must have been lying 

 down together when startled by our appearance, or rather by the 

 noise of our approach. This was a splendid chance, but I was 

 unloaded; I stretched my right arm behind me, expecting to 

 receive a spare rifle from my faithful Tokrooris, but they had 

 retreated from the scene, and I remained within 6 feet of a lion's 

 flank with an unloaded rifle and no companion. The lion's head 

 and neck were quite concealed by the dense greeri bush, and I had 

 no other course to pursue than to reload my rifle. The first tap 

 that I gave the bullet when ramming it home, scared the lion, and 

 with a loud roar it sprang forward and disappeared. My recreant 

 followers now returned, and having administered a few kicks, I took 

 a double-barrelled rifle and we commenced a strict search for the 

 wounded animal. Directed by a low moan, we found her within 

 a few yards, dying ; it was a lioness, but there was no trace of her 

 companion, which had been so lately within my reach. 



The spare camel was now brought up, and with great difficulty 

 my three Tokrooris, the Hamran Arab, and myself succeeded in 

 placing the lioness across the saddle, having first opened and 

 cleaned the body to reduce the weight. 



Blood trickled from the carcase, and dropped upon the ground, 

 thus forming a trace throughout the route until we reached the 

 camp. The lioness was 9 feet 1 inch in length, and, when skinned, 

 the body was dragged to a considerable distance and left for the 

 hysenas. 



The fires were blazing after sunset ; the horses of my Hamrau 

 hunters, and my own, were picqueted within the centre of our 

 enclosure, near the tent, and we were about to retire for the night, 

 when a deep guttural sigh was heard close to the high and 

 impervious fence of kittur thorns. This had been carefully 

 constructed, as life was most uncertain within that questionable 

 district, where the Arab hunting parties invariably killed all natives 

 of the crafty Base tribe whenever met, and they incurred a similar 

 retaliation. The fence was made of entire trees cut off near the 



