104 AFRICA SPEAKS 



at the other male in a savage rush and for a few mo- 

 ments the ground shook, the air trembled, while heavy 

 thuds sounded amid the uproar. 



While this was taking place not a soul in our little 

 party even so much as breathed, for without a doubt, 

 it was the greatest thrill we had ever known. It was 

 quite a different thing than watching hons in a zoo, to 

 know that only a few feet of air separated you from 

 them, and that in two bounds the whole lot could be 

 right in the truck, settKng the argument in your midst. 



It must have been a draw, for both males began to 

 feed at once, one on either side of the Idll, eyeing each 

 other and growhng, while the honesses kept at the 

 side of their first love. 



We could hear more hons in the donga, and as it 

 was getting late, thought it best to move the bait into 

 the old manyatta. As the truck started to pull the 

 zebra away, the whole mob jumped on it and we could 

 not budge an inch. I was afraid we would break the 

 wire cable, but by sHpping the clutch and jerking the 

 zebra, we managed to get them off it until we could 

 get going. The males now followed the kill, while 

 ♦the females remained behind, so after going half the 

 distance to the boma, we stopped to let them all 

 catch up and while waiting another Honess came out 

 of the cover. 



The four boys we had left in the old manyatta were 

 loUing on the ground and could not see anything but 

 the truck and us in it; they did not knoAv that four 

 lions were right behind us and another one coming at 

 a dog trot, so when we drove into the manyatta and 

 dragged the kill past them, they still remained in their 

 favorite position. After the truck stopped, however, 



