116 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



bottom of the khor, where the bush in which the lion 

 lay was practically detached, and began to throw 

 showers of stones into the bush, as the lion would have 

 to charge uphill, through bad thorn, and could hardly 

 escape being shot before he got home. However, the 

 lion understood the position equally well, and was 

 determined not to move, and finally I decided to send 

 a camel-man as marker up a sufficiently high tree, 

 and make a detour which would land us above the 

 lion on the far side of the khor, where we might get 

 a better view. This manoeuvre was executed satis- 

 factorily, and we finally got into a position some 

 20 yards from the bush, and well above it, which 

 commanded a good view except right beneath us. 

 Here we threw more showers of stones, the bush being 

 only 5 yards long or so, and although we must have 

 hit the lion over and over again, he absolutely declined 

 to stir. Finally, as a last resource, I sent back to 

 camp for my shot-gun, and when it arrived, loaded 

 up with buckshot, and placing the 470 in readiness 

 at my feet, fired both barrels of buckshot into the 

 bush. The response was vigorous and immediate, as 

 long before I had time to be ready with the 470, the 

 lion charged out of the bush across the open space 

 into the thick thorns under our feet, and we had the 

 second narrow escape of the day, as there was a path 

 behind us up which he could have advanced, and I 

 could not see to shoot until he was within 3 yards. 



