146 After Big Game in Central Africa 



moment I experience keen emotion, a sense of pleasure 

 mingled with fear, and as the clear-cut silhouette of 

 the animal advances towards our hiding-place, my heart 

 beats so furiously that I hear it distinctly. The 'lion 

 stops shortly after passing the zebra, its head raised, 

 evidently engaged in inspecting the sham ant-hill, 

 which puzzles it; unfortunately, one cannot distinguish 

 the expression of its physiognomy, one can see only its 

 light tawny coat slightly lit up on its back and head 

 by the moon, while the rest of its body is blended 

 with the bluish obscurity of the ground. After hav- 

 ing looked for a moment, during which time we have 

 retained the most complete immobility, the lion lowers 

 its head, smelling the ground to find an indication 

 which confirms his suspicions. Once only have we 

 passed over that spot, and our track must be effaced, 

 because he raises his head once more and again 

 advances. ... A thousand thoughts whirl at this 

 moment through my clear brain, which forms a strik- 

 ing contrast to my beating heart. If it promenades 

 around our hut, I say to myself, it will scent us, and 

 I shall be unable to fire at it ; if it makes off after 

 having scented us, our night's sport is compromised. 

 Better fire, therefore, before it moves too far to the 

 left, where the position of my outlook would prevent 

 me from seeing it. 



At a certain moment the lion again stops in front 

 of us to look in our direction. It is about twenty- 

 four feet away ; but the ground is very dark, and the 

 animal does not stand out against the sky. Hence I 

 cannot fire with certainty ; I only see it partially. 



