xvin LIONS ON THE ATHI PLAINS 195 



In the morning I started off betimes, taking my 

 303 rifle and being accompanied by Mahina with 

 the 1 2 -bore shot-gun, and by another Indian carry- 

 ing the necessary food and water. Our Masai 

 guide, whose name we found to be Lungow, seemed 

 to be quite certain of his way, and led us across the 

 rolling plains more or less in the direction in which 

 the railway was to run, but some miles to the right 

 of its centre-line. The march was full of interest, 

 for on the way we passed within easy range of herds 

 of wildebeeste, hartebeeste, gazelle, and zebra. I 

 was out strictly on business, however, and did not 

 attempt a shot, reserving that pleasure for the 

 homeward trip. Late in the forenoon we arrived at 

 Lungow's pond a circular dip about eighty yards 

 in diameter, which without doubt had contained 

 water very recently, but which, as I expected to 

 find, was now quite dry. A considerable number of 

 bones lay scattered round it, whether of "kills" or 

 of animals which had died of thirst I could not say. 

 Our guide appeared very much upset when he found 

 the pond empty, and gave vent to many exclama- 

 tions in his peculiar language, in which the letter 

 " r " rolled like a kettledrum. 



Our search for water having thus proved a failure, 

 I determined to try my luck with the game. The 

 Masai and the Indian were sent back to camp, 

 while Mahina and I made a big detour from the 



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