WITH FLASH-LIGHT AND RIFLE 



A STORK S NEST OX THE STEPPE 



them. They came near enough, though. During an 

 intensely dark night a strong male lion almost grazed 

 my tent on his way to the near-by brook ; he might have 

 given it a wide berth and still reached the water. After 

 drinking he returned on the same path. He was not in 

 a hurry, either, for the next day I saw, from the tracks he 

 left, that he had tarried about twenty feet from my tent 

 to inspect carefully a large, dry bone. I myself had 

 plenty of opportunity to observe the utter indif- 

 ference which the lion shows towards man when he 

 hunts his prey at night. He will attack and kill asses or 

 bulls fastened to trees three or four steps from a thicket 



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