MORE LIONS 



in his pursuit had penetrated into some ver>' rough 

 country. Our hunting for the time being was over a 

 broad bench, perhaps four or five miles wide, below 

 a range of mountains. The bench itself broke down 

 in sheer cliffs some fifteen hundred feet, but one did 

 not appreciate that fact unless he stood fairly on the 

 edge of the precipice. To all intents and purposes 

 we were on a rolling grassy plain, with low hills and 

 cliflfs, and a m.ost beautiful little stream running 

 down it beneath fine trees. 



Up to now our hunting had gained us little beside 

 information: that kudu had occasionally visited the 

 region, that they had not been there for a month, 

 and that the direction of their departure had been 

 obscure. So we worked our way down the stream, 

 trying out the possibilities. Of other game there 

 seemed to be a fair supply: impalla, hartebeeste, 

 zebra, eland, buffalo, wart-hog, sing-sing, and giraffe 

 we had seen. I had secured a wonderful eland and 

 a very fine impalla, and we had had a gorgeous close- 

 quarters fight with a cheetah.* Now C. had gone 

 out, a three weeks' journey, carrying to medical at- 

 tendance a porter injured in the cheetah fracas. 

 Billy and I were continuing the hunt alone. 



We had marched two hours, and were pitching 



•This animal quite disproved the assertion that cheetahs never assume the 

 aggrcMive. He charged repeatedly. 



149 



