vii MAN-EATING LIONS 73 



nature of the country, and, returning a few seconds 

 later, he informed me that about thirty yards ahead 

 of us there was a clearing, where the natives had 

 been preparing the ground for a garden, beyond 

 which space lay an extensive patch of bush. Feeling 

 certain that the lion had left the long grass and 

 made for the bush, we were hastening along, when 

 Simba suddenly whispered : ' Bwana, I heard the 

 grass rustling ahead and imagine that he has just 

 left this cover and is making for the bush on the 

 other side of the clearing. If we hurry, you may be 

 able to get a shot at him before he has crossed the 

 open space.' Making speedy progress, we emerged 

 from the long grass, just in time to see the brute 

 on the point of entering the thicket on the other 

 side of the open space, so taking hasty aim, I fired, 

 the bullet striking him and rolling him over. In an 

 instant, he was up again, and was about to disappear 

 when I fired my second barrel, unfortunately missing 

 him. Crossing the clearing, we approached to within 

 a score of yards of the spot at which he had vanished 

 into the jungle, there to be met with a growling 

 challenge, and imagining that he was severely 

 wounded, and would before long succumb to the 

 effect of the bullet he had received, I thought it 

 advisable that we should retrace our steps for about 

 thirty yards and await developments. After the 

 lapse of about an hour, I decided to explore the 



