With Flashlight and Rifle 



very incautious of me to tackle two lions without waiting 

 for him. 



Next morning I sent two messengers with the news 

 to Mr. Hall at Fort Smith, and two others with a letter 

 for transmission to the leader of the expedition which 

 was presently to pass over the same route. I told him 

 of the chance he would have of getting some lion-shooting, 

 and afterwards I learnt that he saw eight lions together 

 on the same spot where I had shot mine, and that he 

 had fired at them at long range without result. 



My second lion was also a large old black-maned 

 animal, whose scarred and seamed skin told of many 

 a struggle with his own kind. It is noteworthy that, 

 whereas the lions in certain other regions of Africa 



O 



those for instance to be met with upstream in the Rufu 

 Valley often have no manes, but are quite smooth like 

 lionesses, these lions which live in Kikuyu, which is 

 a relatively cold district and lies high, are provided with 

 abundant manes of a dark colour. 



Now ensued a triumphal march to the camp, followed 

 by a careful skinning of this second lion and the pre- 

 paration of both skins. Corporal Ellis thought it was 

 time for him to return to his own camp, as he did not 

 wish to traverse the plain towards evening. 



Merely for the purpose of bringing down some game 

 by way of provisions, I set out again about two hours 

 before sunset and succeeded in getting several Thomson's 

 gazelles. I stalked a hartebeest buck for a long dis- 

 tance, which I had wounded, but could get no chance 

 of killing him. 



366 



