FIRST GLIMPSE OF A WILD LION 101 



six gunbearers, worked around the base of the hill 

 until we were able to climb up on the crest of it, 

 being thus constantly screened from view of the 

 lions. At the crest was an abrupt outcropping of 

 blackened rocks, where we stopped to locate the two 

 animals. They were nowhere to be seen. Twenty- 

 five yards farther along on the crest was another 

 little ledge of rocks, and we worked our way silently 

 along to it in the expectation that the lions might 

 have advanced that far. But even then our search 

 disclosed nothing. For some time we waited, scour- 

 ing the neighborhood with our glasses, and had 

 almost reached the conclusion that the lions had 

 made off down the other side of the hill and had 

 reached the cover of a shallow ravine some distance 

 away. Then we saw them exactly where we had 

 last seen them before we had started our stalk. 

 They were still together and showed no sign of 

 alarm nor knowledge of our presence so near them. 

 At this time they were one hundred and ten yards 

 away. They lay down again behind the rocks and 

 we waited twenty minutes for them to show them- 

 selves. Off to our right and in the valley another 

 large male lion appeared and moved slowly away 

 among the low scrub trees. 



Finally we decided to rouse the two lions by 

 shouting, but before this decision could be carried 

 out the male rose above the rocks and stood plainly 

 in view. It had previously been arranged that Mr. 

 Stephenson should try for the male, while I should 

 try for the female. In an instant he fired with his 



