THE LION COUNTRY 



and commenced the ascent anew. If it had not been 

 raining, I should have taken a very curious photo- 

 graph. As I advanced, the leopard gave up its 

 gymnastics and crouched on the ground as though 

 about to spring : I stopped it with a bullet. 



On November 5th we left our camp and reached the 

 new commando where Mr. Bivar has just settled. 

 He has named it Villa Paiva d'Andrada, in honour 

 of the famous Portuguese traveller. There, as is 

 always the case, we received great hospitality. The 

 next day we halted at Gilly, where we spent the night. 



In this village, where I experienced such bitter 

 disappointment last year, I was told that the first 

 green shoots had attracted plenty of game back to 

 the neighbourhood. There are, it seems, buffalo, 

 gnus, a great many elands, and even lions. I there- 

 fore decided to remain there for a few days, leaving 

 my wife to go on with most of the baggage, and only 

 keeping absolute necessaries with me. In the morning 

 I found the fresh tracks of buffalo, and followed 

 them for some time, but soon discovered that I was 

 not alone in hunting them, for I came upon the foot- 

 prints of some natives who, like myself, were following 

 up the animals, but ahead of me : farther on the ground 

 clearly indicated the flight of the herd, which had 

 winded the hunters. As it was useless to continue 

 following them, I turned aside to visit the villages of 

 which Gilly is the chief, and on the way shot three 

 hartebeests in a party ; then, as I wanted to get a 



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