132 THROUGH ANGOLA 



preparing the rest of the scheme for watching, 

 when he met and bagged one of the lions in a 

 much more dramatic way. During a trip by 

 trolley, accompanied by Mr. Clark, Machado met 

 two lions. It was evening, the sun had set and 

 darkness was coming on, when Clark saw an 

 animal running over the line, which he at last 

 recognized to be a lioness. She crossed the line, 

 Soon after, on the other side of the line, Machado 

 and Clark saw a maned lion. 



Arguing very wisely that the lion would prob- 

 ably cross the line and join his mate, Machado. 

 who had the rifle, kept a sharp look out, helped 

 by Clark, who had only a shot-gun. They lighted 

 the trolley lamps, and motored on slowly. A few 

 yards farther on they came across the big lion, 

 standing on the line and blinking at the powerful 

 lights of the trolley. Machado fired at the lion, 

 which rolled over the railway embankment, below 

 which he lay groaning for a moment, then picked 

 himself up, and moved off into some low, scattered 

 bushes that grew near the line. 



Up to this point Machado and Clark had 

 acted like old lion hunters, though this was the 

 first lion they had ever seen. From now onwards 

 they did things which, though wonderfully plucky, 

 no experienced lion hunter would ever think of 

 doing. They followed up a wounded lion in the 

 darkness, and gave to a native to carry the lamp 

 which they hoped would both light up the lion's 

 hiding-place, and frighten him as well. They 

 thought the bush was so open that the lion could 

 not hide in it, and would be easily seen with the 



