114 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



made a clean miss, the only doubtful point being that 

 once, when I was engaged with the lion stalking the 

 dead goat, I distinctly heard a heavy body move the 

 grass to the right of the machan. Nothing more 

 occurred till daybreak, though I don't think I got 

 much sleep, and a different lion roared every now and 

 then, beyond the Settit, behind my camp. At day- 

 break I came down from my machan and searched 

 for blood. For a long time I found none, and 

 whistled up the shikaris, my camp being within ear- 

 shot on the other side of the Settit. However, just 

 before they arrived I found a speck of blood in the 

 direction in which the lion had retreated after the 

 shot, and further on more specks and a small piece of 

 flesh, and after the shikaris had come we found more 

 specks in the direction in which I had heard the grass 

 move. At first I doubted whether the lion had not 

 some blood from the goat on his paws or mouth, but 

 the trail, though of the slightest, continued so far 

 that it became certain that one lion had been hit, 

 possibly only slightly, and that it was a second lion 

 that had afterwards occupied my attention. I then 

 marked the trail and went back to camp for chota 

 hazri, returning with the big 470 cordite, the -350 

 cordite, and also the -500 Express which I had used at 

 night, being more familiar with it than with my other 

 weapons. I gave M. and A. the -350 and -500, with 

 which M., at least, seemed totally unfamiliar, and 



