THE ATHI RIVER 215 



Early in February — having meanwhile completed an 

 expedition to the Stony Athi — we returned to the main 

 river and tried afresh the w^hole of the lion-ravines and 

 koppies, including many new spots ; but all again proved 

 blank. 



Regarded purely as lion-hunters, we had failed, for 

 not a single shot had been fired. But intense interest 

 never flagged, and experiences had been gained as regards 

 the haunts and habits of lions that both explain our 

 failure and may benefit future efibrts. 



It is during the rains that lions seek the shelter 

 of the ravines or rocks described. In November and 

 December, several lions had been shot here by precisely 

 similar operations. At that season one has, of course, 

 to take some slight risk of fever ; but that is the time 

 to get lions in these ravines. We, timing our arrival 

 for Christmas (when rains cease), were too late, that is, 

 for lion. For that animal during the dry season needs 

 no shelter, and is content to lie up by day in open grass 

 or any slight covert the prairie may afi'ord — such as the 

 reed-beds, where heavy canes afi'ord shade from the sun 

 and are then dry beneath.^ 



1 Another English sportsman, shooting close by (Lieutenant 

 Black, 5th Dragoon C4uarcls), had precisely similar experience, never 

 seeing a lion until after leaving the Athi and on his homeward 

 march to Nairobi, when on passing qixite a small reed-bed, he sent a 

 dozen " boys " round to drive. A lioness bolted at once ; but heai'ing 

 something else inside he waited, and was rewarded by securing a 

 lion at the eleventh hour. 



A year later, Mr. (now Capt.) Black wrote me as follows, from 

 Bloemfontein — 



"I did not see even a track of elephants this year, but came on 

 several lions; first two, which, though I got within 100 yards, 

 completely defeated me. Then six, stalking a herd of zebra on the 

 Athi Kiver, when I got a lion and a lioness out of the troop. Next, 

 on Kapiti Plains, I came across five lionesses with cubs. I drove 

 them away from the cubs, which they left, and for ten minutes or 

 so all five lionesses kept walking away from me at about 400 yards. 

 Then, all of a sudden, three of them whipped round and fairly 

 charged. I gave them rapid magazine tire, which stopped them 

 when within some thirty yards ; but although I hit two badly, I 

 only picked up one, the other two then retreating, much to my 



