BETWEEN THE ZAMBEZI AND THE PUNGWE 



The next morning I proceed to the bait, which I 

 find untouched. During the day I come on a party 

 of negroes hunting. Being frightened, they at first 

 take to flight, but, having recognised me, come to see 

 me, knowing that I am not in the habit, like the Portu- 

 guese, of reporting them to the police. I enquire for 

 news of lions ; they indicate the district of Sagredo 

 as being populated with these robbers, and I promise 

 to kill them a zebra if I find a Hon at the bait to- 

 morrow. They tell me they are going to camp in the 

 forest to await the annual migration of elephants, 

 which come from the Barwe, and after crossing the 

 Nioronga, traverse the district and reach Chiringoma. 



The information of the negroes is good. On arriving 

 the following day at the spot where I had left our gnu, 

 I find a groove indicating that the carcase has been 

 dragged. After following this for some three hundred 

 yards, I observe a spotted lion under a tree. I whistle 

 in order to apprise Puech, who is walking close by me. 

 At this slight noise the lion rises and growls ; but 

 before he has finished this demonstration he falls with 

 a bullet in the middle of his neck. Before returning 

 to camp, mindful of my engagements, I shoot the 

 zebra which I had promised to the natives. 



As I had heard during the night lions near our 

 camp, I prepare a bait about half-a-mile distant ; and 

 the following morning break the loins of a lioness, who 

 was so busily engaged in devouring it that she did not 

 hear my approach to within a distance of forty paces. 



(155) 



