1 32 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



to lunch. I was at the waggons, and ran out with a trader of 

 the name of Wilson to get a shot at them. They saw us, and, 

 leaving the horse, got into cover ; as they had retreated very 

 leisurely and were by no means scared, we took for granted 

 they would come again. A low mound was within twenty 

 yards of the pitfall, and gave an excellent standing-place behind 

 a double-stemmed tree. Wilson took the right, I the left, and 

 from our slightly raised position we commanded the only 

 approach the lions could well return by. I can say that my 

 eyes were never off that opening, and yet so quietly and 

 glidingly did a lion fill it that I did not see him till he had 

 come the coming was a blank to me ; he was looking at me. 

 A ball in the chest killed him. A second closed the gap, halted 

 inquiringly by his companion, who was stretching in the death 

 spasm, and raising his head caught sight of us. I covered him, 

 but let Wilson fire the ball raked him from chest to tail, and 

 he dropped dead alongside his mate. After watching some 

 time vainly for the third, we walked up to the carcases ; they 

 were both males ; the one I had shot was the longest I ever 

 killed, teeth, claws, skin, perfect, in his very prime ; the other 

 the oldest, most worn-out specimen, no teeth, no claws, stumps 

 only, his grizzled hide mangy and full of the scars of old 

 wounds ; in fact, he was, as the Kafirs said, ' Ra le tao,' the 

 father of lions. Neither had a sign of mane. 



A poor young fellow who had come out to shoot, but was 

 utterly unfitted for the work, lost his companion on one of the 

 lower reaches of this river, near where we now were. From 

 the natives' account, it appeared his friendhad fired at a goose, 

 which fell in the river. He stripped to go in after it, though 

 they begged him not, as there were alligators ; he would not 

 listen to them and swam out. When two or three yards 

 from the bird he was observed to strike sideways, as if he saw 

 something, and in another instant rearing himself half out of 

 the water, with a cry, he sank. There was no doubt what 

 had happened. I first came across the former of these two 

 travellers in a pass not many days' trek from Kolobeng, Living- 



