76 AFRICA SPEAKS 



truck Beared the spot, she stood up and growled, 

 showing her teeth and slowly whipping her tail to and 

 fro. This is a sign that all African hunters know. 

 It means ''keep your distance." As we were wonder- 

 ing at her temper, Bud discovered that she had cubs 

 with her, which, of course, explained everything. As 

 nobody offered to go out and bring in the Httle fellows, 

 we proceeded on our way to one of the bhnds. 



With the cameras and one boy I craw^led into the 

 boma, which was simply a circular wall of thorn 

 branches with no roof. We had taken a section of 

 side wall from one of the old huts in the manyatta 

 and propped it up to make the bhnd look more aged. 

 Through this wall I had cut a hole two feet square 

 facing the bait which was exactly eighteen feet from 

 the opening. Nothing happened for a long time and 

 while waiting I watched, through ray binoculars, two 

 distant lionesses as they stalked a herd of Masai 

 cattle. For some reason I hoped they would be suc- 

 cessful, for, after all, this was the lion's own country, 

 wherein the Masai were intruders. 



After a few hours I heard the truck chugging toward 

 me so got ready for what might happen. Soon it 

 came through the gate we had made in the manyatta 

 wall, dragging a dead wildebeest behind. Mike was 

 at the wheel and brought the fresh bait up to our 

 anchor. Stopping the truck he fastened the animal, 

 then joined me in the boma, saying that there were 

 some lions following the scented trail. Less than five 

 minutes later a honess came around one of the huts 

 and strode swiftly toward the kill. She walked right 

 up until only twelve feet away and then, hearing the 

 hum of the camera, hesitated and slunk to one side. 



