62 /.'/(/ GAM/-: SHOOTING 



on his back. I very quickly put two or three yards more 

 between the soles of my feet and the ground. Presently, 

 from the upper end of the pool came the moaning pant of a 

 questing lion ; it was immediately answered from the lower end 

 their majesties were on the look-out for supper, and had 

 divided the approaches to the water between them. It was 

 much too dark to see anything, but from the sounds they 

 seemed to walk in beats, occasionally telling one another of 

 their whereabouts by a low pant ; of my presence I think they 

 were not aware. 



This went on for an hour or more, and I got colder and 

 colder ; my beard and moustache were stiff with frost. I could 

 not much longer endure the cramped position in my scraggy tree, 

 and I felt I must get down and light a fire, when, suddenly 

 up came the blessed moon, and right under her the sound 

 of three or four muskets fired together. With the help of her 

 light and partial direction in case my companions got tired 

 of firing, I was not going to stay up a tree to be frozen. 

 Waiting, therefore, until she was about ' one tree high,' and until 

 the lions were far asunder, on their separate beats, as well as I 

 could make out from the sound, I came down, and capping -it 

 was all I could do ; for, as I said, I had started without powder 

 and ball my empty gun, which was standing against the tree, I 

 passed at the double round the end of the water and dived into 

 the bush on the opposite side. I have no doubt my desire 

 was to get on as quickly as possible, but reasons for a cautious 

 advance soon made themselves heard on all sides. An African 

 forest was then alive at night. I only thought of the lions, 

 and especially of the two I had left, or perhaps not left, at the 

 water ; but every little nocturnal animal that stirred kept me 

 on the stretch the less noise the more danger. The movement 

 of a mouse might well be mistaken for the stealthy tread of the 

 king of the cats. Among the trees the moon gave but scanty 

 light, and nearly every minute I had to stop and listen as some 

 unseen animals passed near me. Sometimes I could recognise 

 them by their cry, but mostly it was 'a running that could not 



