THE SETTIT RIVER 111 



carried off the dead lioness, leaving the dead goat in 

 situ. The lion called once more at 8 o'clock or so, but 

 not again. 



December 30th. Visited the dead goat in the early 

 morning, which was untouched, and found no track of 

 lion on the road for about half a mile. Did not enjoy 

 the walk, as my donkey had deposited me in the 

 Settit by stumbling. Returned to camp and skinned 

 and cleaned the dead lioness, which taped 7 feet 11 

 inches, and weighed 194 Ib. The spots showed 

 clearly, and I put her down at three years old, though 

 the shikaris called her fully adult. Returned to 

 machan in evening, but the goat refused to call, and, 

 to wind up with, the electric battery went wrong. I 

 got back to dinner at about 9 p.m. 



December 3Ist. Spent most of the night in the 

 machan, hoping to do something with a magnesium 

 light. At 10 p.m. the lion started calling half 

 a mile or so down-stream, and worked right up to 

 the machan, calling every twenty minutes or so, 

 obviously seeking his mate ; finally, I heard him in 

 the grass 20 yards off, but the goat remained mute 

 all the time, and he took the wrong turn and never 

 saw the goat at all, continuing to call up-stream. 

 His last call was at sunrise, I judged nearly a mile up- 

 stream. I went after guinea-fowl in the early 

 morning, and bagged a couple with four shots, and 



