THE LION 19 



About three quarters of a mile west of the station a sand 

 spruit the Mutshidaka joins the Sabi. We noticed 

 that lions coming from the east always travelled up 

 river along the banks of the Sabi, and patrolled as far as the 

 Mutshidaka, following the course of this stream up for 

 an uncertain distance, but eventually turning west- 

 wards, to re-appear at Sabi Bridge from the same direction 

 as before at the end of a month or six weeks. I never 

 knew these animals, which all belonged to one troop, 

 patrol down the river, or cross the Mutshidaka to the 

 west, nor indeed did they ever, to my knowledge, appear 

 to come from any direction except the east. 



There were three lions known to hunt the country some 

 twelve miles up the Sabi from the station, i.e. west of it, 

 and they sometimes patrolled eastwards to the Mutshi- 

 daka, but I never heard of their crossing that stream 

 to our side of it, nor getting into the country hunted by 

 the first-mentioned animals. At Tshokwana, twenty- 

 five miles north of the Sabi, there existed a very well- 

 known troop, which for many months never moved 

 out of a comparatively small area, and even the killing 

 and wounding of members of it did not suffice to scare the 

 others away from their favourite haunts. This particular 

 family were great travellers within their district, and 

 were continually on the move by day. 



CHAPTER III 



LIONS 



(continued) 



LIONS when moving along at their ease have rather 

 an ungainly appearance. They hold their heads very low, 

 and their bodies swing from side to side ; but the moment 

 they are alarmed, or their attention becomes excited, 



