236 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



though at a pace by no means alarming ; and then a bullet 

 in the front of the shoulder from my express dropped 

 her dead. In the meantime our hunters had taken 

 their usual precaution of retiring rapidly to a distance. 

 Whilst they were busily employed afterwards concealing 

 the lioness with dry grass and wood from the watchful 

 eyes of the vultures, we took advantage of the opportu- 

 nity to measure the baobab, as it was about the finest 

 we had seen, and we found its circumference to be over 

 sixty-five feet near the base. Those who question 

 whether it is by sight or scent that the vultures and 

 Marabou storks find out their food, could not remain 

 very long- in doubt, one would think, in this country, for 

 if our Arabs can manage to cover over our game quite 

 loosely with some branches and grass before it has been 

 observed by the feathered tribe, it will remain perfectly 

 safe from them ; but in addition the Arabs are always 

 most particular to specially conceal any marks of blood 

 on the body or in the neighbouring track. If, however, 

 we can see at the time any vultures soaring about high 

 above us, the Arabs know that their labour will be in 

 vain. These remarks do not apply to the black-and- 

 white crow, for this bird has a wonderful knack of being 

 in at or soon after the death, independent of sight appa- 

 rently ; and, with a generosity worthy of example, 

 vociferously ' caws ' all its immediate relations in the 

 neighbourhood to the feast, from the top of the highest 

 tree it can find. 



