THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 



camp under a single tree near the edge of the bench. 

 After seeing everything well under way, I took the 

 Springfield and crossed the stream, which here ran 

 in a deep cafion. My object was to see if I could get 

 a sing-sing that had bounded away at our approach. 

 I did not bother to take a gunbearer, because I did 

 not expect to be gone five minutes. 



The caiion proved unexpectedly deep and rough, 

 and the stream up to my waist. When I had gained 

 the top, I found grass growing patchily from six 

 inches to two feet high; and small, scrubby trees 

 from four to ten feet tall, spaced regularly, but very 

 scattered. These little trees hardly formed cover, 

 but their aggregation at sufficient distance limited 

 the view. 



The sing-sing had evidently found his way over the 

 edge of the bench. I turned to go back to camp. 

 A duiker — a small grass antelope — broke from a 

 little patch of the taller grass, rushed, head down and 

 headlong after their fashion, suddenly changed his 

 mind, and dashed back again. I stepped forward 

 to see why he had changed his mind — and ran into 

 two lions! 



They were about thirty yards away, and sat there 

 on their haunches, side by side, staring at me with 

 expressionless yellow eyes. I stared back. The 

 Springfield is a good little gun, and three times be- 



150 



