PROWLERS OF THE PLAINS 77 



Shortly two more lionesses joined her. Then a huge 

 male came stalking through the entrance and with 

 long strides came up to the bait and crouching low 

 peered into the lens opening. For a second or two 

 our eyes met, during which time funny httle sensations 

 ran up and down my spine. Then he joined the group 

 in the grass. For a tense hour we waited wliile the 

 hons prowled around the boma. 



Finally they all laid down about fifteen feet from us 

 and went to sleep. I could see them very plainly 

 from my position by simply turning my head. After 

 awhile Mike and I began to talk about the coming 

 wheat crop and other important things concerning the 

 shamba. This seemed to annoy our fehne visitors, 

 for suddenly one of them gave a loud growl and spring- 

 ing to its feet faced us with an expression which 

 seemed to say, "Shut up in there I Can't you see 

 we're trying to get a httle rest?" As there was no 

 roof on this boma, and it was an easy jump for a Hon, 

 we decided to keep quiet. The hght was getting bad 

 and we wanted to go home, but four hungry hons 

 within a few feet was sufficient reason for delaying 

 our departure. 



At last there came a clear morning and long before 

 dawn we were on our way to the Masai manyatta. 

 This time there would be no mistake; we would com- 

 plete the work. After arriving at the village we 

 placed a truck across each of the two gates so that the 

 cattle could not get out. On top of each cab sat a 

 white man with a rifle over his knees. The camera 

 crew and myself proceeded to the top of the enormous 

 rock which rose about a thousand feet back of the 

 village. On its summit I assembled the equipment 



