204 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



the open space surrounding the goat. They did not 

 at once seize it, and I was afraid to turn on the light 

 until they had done so. After some seconds of 

 hesitation, one of them laid hold of the goat, and I 

 turned on the light, when it promptly ran back out 

 of the circle, so I turned the light out again. After 

 a minute it advanced and killed the goat out- 

 right, but when I turned on the light it again 

 retreated some ten paces. I could still see it, and 

 kept the light turned on while it boldly advanced 

 and tried to tear away the goat by main force. It 

 stood end-on facing me, a most undesirable shot, but 

 something was bound to give way, so I fired. The 

 result was a succession of roars and a big cloud of 

 dust and smoke. As this cleared I saw the lion pick 

 itself up from where it had been knocked over, and 

 make off at a great pace, before I could fire my second 

 barrel. Of course, its mate, apparently a female, 

 which had kept in the background, made off too. 

 After some ten minutes I distinctly heard at 

 least one lion return, and for fully an hour the 

 brute patrolled the shade of the trees in front 

 of the machan, just out of shot. Finally it went 

 off, and at dawn I descended, had chota hazri, and 

 took up the trail. Blood was not very plentiful, 

 and I was very disappointed to find that some 60 

 yards off the lion had lain down and gone on again 

 a very bad sign. After this M. and A. could make 



