HORNS AND THORNS 43 



find out what was delaying him. About three miles 

 back we found liim standing in the middle of the road 

 with a rifle in liis hands and the following story to tell: 



He had been driving serenely along when suddenly 

 the only other occupant of the truck, our surx-iving 

 black boy from ]\Iombasa, shouted in SwahiH, "Simba, 

 bwana, Simba!" The words meant nothing to this 

 embryonic explorer but the boy's actions did, so he 

 slowed down to see what the excitement was about, 

 and glancing down beside the truck beheld a big male 

 lion crouched almost within arm's reach. He stepped 

 heavily on the gas, choking the carburetor, and, after 

 going about three hundred yards, the truck stopped. 

 The boy immediately shoved a rifle into his hands, 

 put down the side curtains of the cab, and puQed out his 

 knife, shouting aU the time for the master to shoot. He 

 had never before held a heavy rifle, had no idea of how 

 it worked or if it was loaded, so he sat there wondering 

 what would happen, while the boy bounced about in a 

 panic, finally cHmbing on top of the cab. The tender- 

 foot had then cHmbed out and stood in the glare 

 of the headlights, where we found him, all hot and 

 bothered ! 



On the next day we arrived at Moshi about ten 

 o'clock in the morning. As we drove up to the fittle 

 hotel we beheld the Baron and his nephew coming out 

 to greet us, while the Baroness stood on the porch 

 wa\^ng a welcome. As, with a smile on his face, he 

 came up to our trucks, I noticed that he was anxiously 

 gazing about and knew he was wondering about his 

 truck. We jumped out and, after greetings and hand- 

 shakes, I told him not to worry, that his safari cruiser 

 was bringing up the rear and was due most any 



