Death of the Big Male 265 



the lions, he did. As I am very fond of this stick (a 

 souvenir of former hunting days), I decide to retrace 

 our steps, instead of going forward. We cross the 

 plain, and again enter the small wood. Hallo ! look 

 out ! Rodzani, who is walking in front, almost steps 

 on the big lion ! . . . The animal, which was lying 

 down, lazily rises to his feet, moves to the right out 

 of our path, and passes behind us. I seize my rifle, 

 but, prevented from firing by the shrubs, I run ten 

 yards farther on to a glade which he is bound to pass. 



Oppressed by the heat, and also, as I found after- 

 wards, by its heavy meal, it walks along with head so 

 low that I can see only its undulating back and power- 

 ful shoulders. Although he knows I am there, he 

 does not even look at me. I aim at his neck, and, 

 when he passes straight in front of me at a distance 

 of six yards, fire. . . . He falls with a thud stone 

 dead. 



If chance had not ordained our return in search of 

 the forgotten stick, this lion would have remained 

 quietly lying down where it was, while we thought it 

 with its family. Probably he would have let us pass 

 a second time near to him without disturbing him, if 

 we had not, as it were, involuntarily stepped upon 

 him. 



I send some men to the camp immediately to fetch 

 the camera. Meantime, we visit the koodoo, almost 

 the only remaining parts of which are the bones. 

 We find, however, a piece of meat on the neck, which 

 we grill in the shade, awaiting the men's return. 



After measuring the lion we dragged it into the 



