THE ENDLESS VELDT 155 



stalking us. He was acting just like a house cat 

 when it stalks a bird in the back yard. When I first 

 looked, he was crouched flat against the earth with 

 his tail slowly switching from side to side. Then, with 

 his belly close to the ground, he ran swiftly forward a 

 few paces, then sank down, his big yellow eyes fastened 

 fixedly on the opening through wliich we had entered 

 the boma. This doorway was plugged with a very 

 thin thorn branch; in fact, I had never noticed before 

 how thin it was, and wondered why it couldn't have 

 been a very thick branch. Mr. Lion was getting close 

 and it looked as if he meant to spring into the boma. 



He was a stranger and probably didn't know we 

 were there making photographs. It was quite a 

 ticklish situation — seven hons grouped in front with 

 this big fellow creeping upon us from the rear. Some- 

 thing had to be done quickly so taking my Kttle pea- 

 shooter, the .505 Gibbs, I shoved the thorn bush aside 

 and crawled out toward the newcomer. Slowly I 

 stood up with my back against the thorn wall, then 

 commenced to jump up and down and wave my hat 

 while shouting at the top of my lungs. I heard the 

 hons behind me move quickly and expected to see 

 them come around the edge of the boma any second. 

 If they had, I might have been seriously hurt, but my 

 jumping about had simply caused the two honesses to 

 run out and join the others. Upon this information 

 being relayed by Maniki, I felt quite comfortable and 

 gave my undivided attention to the stranger. I felt 

 that with my young cannon I could push him back 

 about ten feet the first shot, so started talking to him, 

 explaining that I had a family at home, as probably 

 he did, and that after all I had no intentions of harm- 



