132 BIG. GAME SHOOTING 
tolunch. 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 — 
tlie 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-— 
