228 THE LAND OF THE LION 



mercifully to be met by an almost chance shot from H.'s 

 heavy .450 which paralyzed her. No man cares to look 

 back on a shave like that. 



Quite near the rock another affair came off this spring, 

 which, but for the cool courage of a native askari, would 

 have ended fatally. Two men, Englishmen, who should 

 never have gone after dangerous game, shot at a lion and 

 missed it. It seems there was a lioness with the lion, which 

 neither of them saw. The lion "cleared,'* but round a 

 bush the lioness suddenly came and came fast. Captain 



ran, and his gun-boy, Malim, once in my employ, a lad 



brave to rashness, standing his ground, was pulled down 

 immediately. Now the most extraordinary thing about 

 this true story is that, while serving with this same gallant 

 officer, four months before, Malim had been slightly mauled 

 by another lion. On this occasion (it happened near the 

 Tana River) his bwana also ran away, and the boy's life 

 was only saved because a man now in my employ stood by 

 the gunbearer and shot the lion, which was standing 

 over his body, with a double-barrel smooth-bore, which he 

 carried. After the second affair I found poor Malim in a 

 bad way, still suffering from a severe mauling. Several 

 men, now in my employ, were on these gentlemen 's sefari, 

 and there is unfortunately no doubt whatever as to the 

 accuracy of the facts. What induces some men to attempt 

 dangerous game no one can say. That many who are 

 constitutionally unfitted for its pursuit, do come out here 

 and do attempt it, everyone in the country knows. But 

 fortunately such a scandalous affair as this one is rare indeed. 

 Ten miles due east of Sergoit rock, an easy and well- 

 marked pathway worn by the Elgoa cattle climbs through 

 the dense forest ridge to one of the gathering points of this 

 tribe. This trail opens up to traveller or sportsman a com- 

 pletely different country. A country that has as yet never 

 been hunted by the white man. And at its very head there 



