OH, SHOOT! 



snarling soundlessly, and she presented a mag- 

 nificent sight outlined against the void be- 

 yond. By leaping high, the dogs could reach 

 her feet, and she was stepping about gingerly 

 to avoid their attacks. Somewhere in the 

 brush above, Miller and Vaughan were coming 

 with the camera and tripod. 



"Lemme shoot her!" I gasped once more, 

 but Ambrose sternly declined to entertain 

 such a thing. 



"When the boys get set up," he wheezed, 

 "we'll snatch her off that rock in jig time. 

 It '11 make some picture." 



I obediently uncocked my rifle and cocked 

 my still camera, but just as I raised it she 

 once again took to flight. 



I favored Ambrose with a loud horse laugh 

 and patted my Winchester. 



"This is the thing," I declared, "to hunt 

 lions with. Now we've lost her." 



So it seemed, for the chase led back along the 

 top of the limestone, then descended a break 

 in the cliff. At no time could we see either 

 the lioness or the dogs, but the strain of our 

 hound orchestra kept us apprised of her gen- 

 eral whereabouts. Far below us lay the wide 

 shelf formed by the "Tonto red." It was 



190 



