THE RAHAD RIVER 211 



left me somewhat in the rear. I had seen one bull in 

 the herd, but among the trees and grass which they 

 now entered on my side, and in the gathering dusk, 

 I could not pick him out though I got within 50 yards 

 of the herd. Finally, I had to give up the business as 

 a bad job and return to camp. 



April 14th. The night passed without incident to 

 my knowledge. However, next day I found that by 

 the light of the full moon a lion had walked right 

 through the camp, passing within a measured 20 

 paces of my bed. The camel-men said that there 

 were two of them, and that they roared loudly both 

 coming and going. Unluckily nobody thought of 

 waking me. There was not a scrap of cover with- 

 in 50 yards of the camel-zareba, which probably 

 was the saving of some of my live stock. In the 

 morning we took up the tracks of the buffaloes, which 

 led to some well-used feeding-grounds on the banks of 

 the Rahad, where tracking was impossible. These I 

 burnt and returned to the maya, when M. detected 

 what I believe to be the reedbuck let off yesterday. 

 This time I stalked within 50 yards, and made a bad 

 shot, but a successful one, breaking the poor brute's 

 back. The horns were 12 inches. I waited about an 

 hour, with the idea that the fire might drive the buff- 

 aloes back to the maya, but saw nothing more of them. 

 In the afternoon I first of all fished for an hour with- 

 out result, and then constructed a machan on the 



