268 SAFARI 



as fifteen pounds, from pools along the river-bed we 

 skirted. 



But still no lions ; I mean lions such as Carl Akeley 

 and I had been hoping for ; lions that could be studied 

 and photographed while they were immolested. 

 Carl had for months been promising me I would 

 change my mind about the big cats if only I could 

 once see them his way. But I confess my previous 

 encounters had made me more and more skeptical. 



A few days after our arrival in the game district 

 Carl came into camp late in the evening. He had 

 been away all day on a scouting party of his own. 

 I could see he was laboring under some excitement. 

 Almost immediately he took me aside. 



"I've found them!" he exclaimed. 



Instantly I knew what he meant. Lions! 



"Now you'll believe what I say! " 



Never had I heard him speak more earnestly. 

 Indeed I was for starting at once although I knew it 

 was absolutely out of the question to dare travel 

 in the darkness away from the protection of our 

 camp fire. 



I could scarcely sleep that night. Years before in 

 New York, Carl Akeley had sat in my apartmect 

 playing with Kalowatt and talking lions. In his 

 studio in the American Museum I had sat and 

 watched him modelling them. Wherever we were 

 or whatever we discussed he sooner or later prayed 



