HUNTING ELEPHANT AND RIDING LION 175 



off, when wounded, or when they are thoroughly angered 

 by a hard run, that they are dangerous. Hereabouts, they 

 have been hunted, both on foot and on horseback a great 

 deal. They have learned that it is wise to end their hunt- 

 ing, soon as the sun rises. After that time, the friendly 

 swamps' impenetrable shelter is good enough for them. 

 Just now the grass on the wide prairie round the swamp, 

 while nowhere long, is still at its longest. Here and there 

 are narrow ridges, on which it grows scarcely to two feet 

 high, and scattered among the rocks and hollows, there are 

 patches that will, from a distance, completely conceal a 

 lion. Thus it comes to pass that September and October, 

 of all months in the year, are the very best for riding lion 

 near Sergoit. There is enough cover just to tempt his 

 majesty when the night has been, for him, fruitless, to linger 

 a little on his way home. When the grass fires have swept 

 all the country as they will have done by December, every 

 lion of any experience is sure to be safe in the dry reed bor- 

 der of the damp swamp, half an hour after sunrise; and 

 if anyone would cut them off from their hold, as they return 

 from hunting, he must somehow manage to be there by that 

 time, too. 



Remember sixty lion have been shot within sight of 

 Sergoit in three years. It is, therefore, small wonder if 

 lion education has advanced hereabouts. I knew all this, 

 knew that all circumstances favoured me, and hope ran 

 high as we moved out of camp in the dim light of the delicious 

 fresh morning. Mile after mile we rode slowly along, 

 stopping now and then, to search carefully, with our glasses, 

 the slopes and levels before us. Five miles had been 

 passed, and no lion seen. Now half a mile away, the dark 

 green papyrus wall stood out sharply against the grass 

 yellow, of the surrounding prairie. "Let us sit down here 

 and have a good spy," said H. "I have never been here 

 yet at this time of year without seeing lion." The words 



