THE FIRST LION 



Compare these dimensions with your own height 

 and with the length of your motor car. It is one 

 thing to take on such beasts in the hurry of surprise, 

 the excitement of a charge, or to stalk up to within a 

 respectable range of them with a gun at ready. 

 But this deliberate sneaking up with the hope of 

 being able to sneak away again was a little too slow 

 and cold-blooded. It made me nervous. I liked 

 it, but I knew at the time I was going to like it a 

 whole lot better when it was triumphantly over. 



We were now within twenty yards (they were 

 standing starboard side on), and I prepared to get 

 my picture. To do so I would either have to step 

 quietly out into sight, trusting to the shadow and 

 the slowness of my movements to escape observ^a- 

 tion, or hold the camera above the bush, directing 

 it by guess work. It was a little difficult to decide. 

 I knew what I ought to do 



Without the slightest premonitory warning those 

 two brutes snorted and whirled in their tracks to 

 stand facing in our direction. After the dead still- 

 ness they made a tremendous row, what with the 

 jerky suddenness of their movements, their loud 

 snorts, and the avalanche of echoing stones and boul- 

 ders they started down the hill. 



This was the magnificent opportunity. At this 

 point I should boldly have stepped out from behind 



107 



