WITH FLASH-LIGHT AND RIFLE 



stream alongside the river for some distance and ther 

 retraced our steps. We saw on the plain many gnus, 

 antelopes, Thomson gazelles, zebras, and ostriches. 



We were marching slowly along, two of our men walk- 

 ing on the other side of the river, when suddenly we 

 heard the cry: "Simba! Simba! Simba Bwana! 

 Kubwa Sana!" (A lion, lord, a mighty lion!) The men 

 on the other side tried to point out to us the animal in 

 a small reed thicket near the water. As soon as the 

 natives who were with me heard the cry from the oppo- 

 site bank they took to their heels. My rifle - carrier, 

 Ramadan, a stalwart and usually courageous Swahili, 

 was among them. I ran after him and forced him to 

 return with me and to search the reed thicket where 

 the animal was, although invisible to us. Soon we saw 

 the reeds move ; something was crawling in the direc- 

 tion where Corporal Ellis stood. A sharp report from his 

 Martini-Henry rifle told us that he had seen the enemy. 

 The animal was only wounded. .Roaring with pain and 

 rage, it bounded forward in a mighty leap. To see the 

 head and to fire at it was the work of a moment. A 

 bullet from my rifle killed the cat — it was a big lioness — 

 in the nick of time. We returned to the camp, where 

 our men recei\:ed us enthusiastically. It took twelve 

 men to carry our prey to the camp; in its stomach we 

 found large pieces of zebra flesh and skin. 



After a short breakfast we left the camp again to hunt 

 some game for our dinner. Ellis, who w^ent ahead, was 



212 



