HORNS AND THORNS 47 



lions and leopards. These rocky outcroppings are 

 isolated in a plain upon which thousands of animals 

 roam, and, being covered with densely grown dongas, 

 offer an ideal retreat to the great yellow cats and their 

 spotted cousins. 



The camp was located in a dehghtful spot close to 

 good water. We had killed a buck during the day 

 and after feasting on some of the meat, canned beans, 

 crackers, and tea, had put our blankets on the ground 

 in preparation for a night's rest. Our black boy was 

 not experienced in safari life, never having before been 

 far from Mombasa Island, which meant that he knew 

 little about the dangerous game. So when some 

 leopards began to cough close at hand he insisted on 

 moving his bed as close to ours as possible, whereupon 

 Mike told him to carry the rest of the antelope a hun- 

 dred yards or so away from camp, that the leopards 

 might feed on it and not bother us. The boy stood 

 petrified for a moment, then wanted to know if the 

 leopards would attack him while he was carrying the 

 meat out. Mike told him not to worry, that they 

 preferred good antelope meat any time to a tough 

 punda (donkey) Hke him. 



During the night we heard many hons about, while 

 the leopards seemed to be all over the place, coming 

 close to the fire in order to have a good look at us. 

 Their peculiar coughing got on my nerves, for I have 

 no hking for these savage httle brutes, and would 

 much rather have lions prowfing around. Just before 

 going to sleep I noticed the boy from Mombasa huddled 

 over the fire, but when we awoke next morning we 

 found him sleeping in one of the cabs with all the 

 side curtains fastened up. 



