LION-SHOOTING EXPERIENCE, 197 



applies, for it is known to be a favourite haunt of 

 buffaloes, and when found there by the Arab hunters 

 they are driven round and round by dogs until tired 

 out, when they fall easy victims to their swords and 

 spears. The dogs we have so far seen are miserable- 

 looking creatures. They are a species of lurcher, very 

 small and almost reduced to skeletons. When approach- 

 ing the river, Vivian and Mohamed disturbed two lions 

 in a wood feasting on a koodoo, and, as Essafi and my- 

 self were close at hand, they beckoned to us to join in 

 the hunt. The trees were here so overspreading and 

 close together that the pathways were nearly dark, and 

 it was almost impossible to walk along them ; and as I 

 entered the wood I did not see I was walking directly 

 up to a lion until I was close to him and caught sight of 

 his glistening eye as he sprang on one side. I fired 

 a chance shot into the brushwood, to which he responded 

 with a growl, and then escaped, probably untouched, as 

 Vivian caught sight of him going away at a good pace. 

 So far our experience in lion-shooting does not tend to 

 make us look upon the lord of the forest as a dangerous 

 animal to encounter, for, hunting on foot as we do alone, 

 we should have but a poor chance of escape if he chose 

 to assume the offensive before being wounded ; and it is 

 more than probable that many have sneaked away on 

 our approach, according to their natural tendency, with- 

 out our having seen them at all. I have been told by 



