xviii LIONS ON THE ATHI PLAINS 199 



ever, and we gradually approached it. When we 

 were about a hundred yards off, the reddish object 

 again appeared ; and I saw that it was nothing less 

 than the shaggy head of a lion peeping over the 

 long grass. This time Mahina also saw what it was, 

 and called out, "Dekko, Sahib, sher!" ("Look, 

 Master, a lion ! "). I whispered to him to be quiet 

 and to take no notice of him, while I tried my best 

 to follow my own advice. So we kept on, edging up 

 towards the beast, but apparently oblivious of his 

 presence, as he lay there grimly watching us. As 

 we drew nearer, I asked Mahina in a whisper if he 

 felt equal to facing a charge from the sher if I 

 should wound him. He answered simply that 

 where I went, there would he go also ; and right 

 well he kept his word. 



I watched the lion carefully out of the corner of 

 my eye as we closed in. Every now and then he 

 would disappear from view for a moment ; and it 

 was a fascinating sight to see how he slowly raised 

 his massive head above the top of the grass again 

 and gazed calmly and steadily at us as we neared 

 him. Unfortunately I could not distinguish the 

 outline of his body, hidden as it was in the grassy 

 thicket. I therefore circled cautiously round in 

 order to see if the covert was sufficiently thin at 

 the back to make a shoulder shot possible ; but as 

 we moved, the lion also twisted round and so always 



