NEARING THE LION COUNTRY 59 



no tent on these expeditions), crying, " Moraina, 

 moraina ? " (" Do you hear the lions ? "). He 

 spoke in his own language, for in these parts not 

 a word of English is known. M Yes, Secumba," 

 I said, " I can hear the lions/ ' 



Now, it was Secumba's duty always to keep my 

 big enamelled billy full of water, so I added, 

 " But, Secumba, I think the bucket is empty." 

 It was quite dark and the water was some way off 

 and that unpleasant moaning noise was getting 

 closer and closer, so Secumba evidently thought 

 my little joke in bad taste ; but a very sickly 

 grin came over his face, and he, making up my 

 fire, returned to his own without any reference to 

 the state of the water supply. 



These lions seemed to turn back before they 

 came to the water, though they continued roaring 

 as they drew away. After an early breakfast, 

 taking the two bushmen and other hunters, we 

 set off to try and pick up and follow the trail of 

 our last night's visitors. A hundred yards behind 

 the vley Qumano picked up the tracks, crossing 

 a bit of newly burnt country, and the pleasurable 

 excitement of following up two big male lions, as 

 they appeared by their tracks, now began. My 

 hunters told me that these lions had not killed 

 anything during the night, and on my being 

 somewhat sceptical, they referred me to Makwengo. 

 These little men, however, only confirmed the 

 same opinion, " Ambi kocho — ambi kocho" ("no 

 meat "), for when it came to a dispute on the 



