ANOTHERCHANGE LIONS 



moving atmosphere similar to that you see over a hot 

 stove. 



All this renders long-range shooting difficult. The 

 safari was put in traveling condition, but after a long, 

 hard day, and an unusual mental and temperamental 

 expenditure. Many things look very easy until you try 

 them, and the kind of game you do not want is usually 

 most in evidence. Midday shooting in the tropics is 

 rendered very difficult on account of heat and radiation 

 from the wet earth. 



My friend's complement of buffaloes not having been 

 obtained, and the buffaloes being wise to our presence, 

 another move was deemed necessary, so we crossed two 

 tributaries in one day's trek and camped on the banks 

 of the same river Ripingaza. There was much rain at 

 this camp. One morning, after an all-night rain, lasting 

 until six o'clock, I started out rather late, with only one 

 water-buck and one impala to shoot. I was resolved to 

 be very exacting and take none but the best. This proved 

 to be the red-letter day in all my shooting experience. 



We had gone about three miles, it was nine o'clock, 

 and the sun had broken through the mists, insuring the 

 typical equatorial day. Major Kirkwood, about fifty 

 yards in front of me, rode upon an ant-hill to get a better 

 view. I saw him drop over on his horse's neck and 

 swing him round off the ant-hill in haste, and knew 

 something important was in sight. As we came to- 

 gether he announced that he had caught a glimpse of a 

 lion's ear not a hundred yards away in the long grass. 

 We immediately galloped the grass in ordei^fee-stfr him 

 upaTTcTget a shot^jind.^]; .die-saffl-tHe- j we~st the gun- 

 bearers spooring. 



63 



