THE JUNGLE POOL 75 



told my men on no account to come lor me unless 

 they heard three signalling shots. My watch was 

 from a platform built high in a tree, from which 

 one could see not only the pool where the lioness 

 had come to drink, but also two other pools 

 farther away, and a little game path that ran by 

 the river bank. 



" The chance of the lioness coming to this 

 part of the stream was slender, though she had 

 drunk here twice on succeeding days. But there 

 was the chance that she might come before dark 

 to one of the other two pools, or along the game 

 path, where her movements would be more silent 

 than in the leaf-strewn ground of the surrounding 

 jungle. 



" Just before sunset, flocks of doves and guinea- 

 fowl, and birds in lesser families and even in 

 pairs, came cooing and clucking to the waterside. 



; ' At sundown a little duiker antelope came 

 down from the forest to drink, watching every 

 bush and shadow, stopping often, and listening 

 always. Twice feigning fear, he made pretence to 

 run away, hoping, no doubt, to entice any hidden 

 enemy to make a premature attack. Then he 

 came cautiously to the water's edge, drank 

 hurriedly, and went back to the shelter of the 

 forest. 



" While it was still light, a delightful family of 

 striped genets, father, mother, and four little ones, 

 came in single file to the pool. One parent led, 

 and the other kept guard behind. These little 

 beasts did not seem as frightened as the duiker. 

 They frisked about in the intervals of drinking, 



