CHAPTER XII 



AN ADVENTURE WITH LIONS IN A SHOMA 



WE were not sorry to leave Nyeri, as although 

 the climate of the place is on the whole good, yet 

 on account of its height, some 8000 feet above 

 sea level, it is frequently covered with cloud or mist, 

 and the nights are intensely cold. 



Soon after setting out we began to see game in 

 small quantities, especially hartebeeste and eland. 

 They all seemed very shy, owing, no doubt, to the 

 number of times they had been shot at by safaris 

 passing this way. After a pleasant and interesting 

 march we reached the Buni (Ostrich) river soon 

 after mid-day, where we camped. The grass all 

 round was long and very dry, so I gave orders that 

 on no account were fires to be lighted until it had 

 been cut down from about the tents. A few 

 moments afterwards, what I had wished to guard 

 against happened, for while the other men were 

 busily engaged in cutting down the grass, the cook 



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