280 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



was useless to attempt to follow it up, they began a 

 regular hunt in wide circles around the hill. For two 

 hours they laboured on up and down the adjacent hills, 

 sometimes finding the track, but almost instantly losing 

 it again, until their patience became worn out, and they 

 had to give up the hunt in despair. Returning home 

 we walked in line at intervals of thirty to forty yards, 

 and thankful I was that, lion or no lion, the day's work 

 was drawing to a close ; for even my two followers, like 

 myself, were quite done up with the oppressive heat, 

 and perhaps even more by the reflected heat from the 

 "hard ground than by the direct sun's rays. We had not 

 gone far in this way, one man being on each side of me, 

 when suddenly I heard a loud roar on my left, and on 

 looking in that direction I saw Essafi to my intense 

 astonishment running like a hare towards me down 

 some sloping ground, and a lion bounding over the low 

 bushes in full chase after him and every moment gaining 

 upon him. Essafi almost touched me as he passed on ; 

 and before this time he was so exactly in my line that 

 I could not fire. Now was my chance however, and as 

 the lion came to the ground after his next spring, and 

 when only ten yards from me, I fired at him with the 

 express ; and it is hardly needful to say how great was 

 my relief when I saw him make a feeble attempt to 

 turn and then fall dead before me. It was a grand 

 sight to see him advance with a continuous half-roar, 



