26 ON SAFAEI 



in all directions by the curious double spoor of hippo- 

 potami — regular roads, by which these huge amphibians 

 came out to graze at night, and along which we could 

 creep unseen. This impala was lord of a harem of no less 

 than thirty-two does, and I thought him the best in our 

 valley ; but my brother later on got a solitary ram that 

 beat him by half-an-inch. 



These two antelopes, the impala and Grant's gazelle, 

 carry as fine trophies as any game on earth, having 

 regard to their proportionate size. Both species average 

 from 10 to 12 stones in weiolit — sav the size of a red 

 deer hind — yet their horns, massive and beautiful in 

 sweeping curves, run to 26 and 28 ins. in length ; 

 " record " specimens reaching nearly 30 ins. 



That afternoon, during the midday rest in camp, we 

 were visited by a deputation of Masai. These stalwart 

 savages — absolutely naked save for some ornaments 

 suspended from their ears (I took these things to be 

 ornaments) — each carried a murderous double-bladed 

 spear, long enough to impale three enemies at once. 

 (The blades of some I brought home exceed 3 ft. in 

 length.) After much palaver, we understood our friends' 

 message to be as follows : — That morning a lion had 

 attacked their herds. They had driven him off, and he 

 had taken shelter in some bush, where they had left men 

 to watch till we could arrive to shoot the depredator. 

 We set off at once, and on reaching the place (an hour's 

 walk) found the country quite open, with some thin 

 bush. There was much running hither and thither, and 

 much gesticulation by crowds of excited Masai. This 

 at length resolved itself into general concentration upon 

 one patch of low brushwood barely an acre in extent. 

 Towards this scores of spears now eagerly pointed, but 

 both the Masai and our own "boys" hung severely 



back. Consequently AV and I reached the bush 



alone, each attended only by his gun-bearer. 



For a moment, I must admit, I hesitated to walk 

 into that bush with a live lion inside it ; but, as our 

 whole line stood halted dead to windward, and within 



