AT GRIPS WITH THE LION 81 



pine board, and all except the wrist wounds healed 

 very quickly, in spite of lack of medicines, the 

 violation of the laws of hygiene and the routine 

 of hospitals. Over and over again the same 

 bandages were washed and used, but no signs of 

 blood-poisoning appeared. The long night hours 

 were the worst part : even then, lying there 

 crippled, a certain unending charm in the beautiful 

 African nights brought compensation. All night 

 one could hear the hippo in the pools — sometimes 

 quite close ; frequently a lion or a leopard, with 

 at times the shrill whistling of a frightened reed- 

 buck. It was just as well, if only on account of 

 my old mule, that no lion paid a visit to my camp 

 during this time ; and it was curious how right 

 through my trip, even though I had donkeys with 

 me, a notoriously tempting bait for lions, they 

 never raided my camp. 



Mafoota was not so lucky, however, for when 

 he came to this same camp with his little herd of 

 cattle a few days after I had left, he struck trouble 

 right away — a lion seizing and carrying off a 

 calf the first night. The following night the 

 rascal came again, carrying off one of his boys, and 

 it was only on Mafoota — roused by the barking of 

 the dogs and yells of his niggers — running out 

 and firing some shots over him, that he dropped 

 the boy and made off. The boy was not very 

 badly bitten, having only been seized by the 

 shoulder. Thinking my old camp was getting too 

 hot, Mafoota retreated next day with his herd 

 6 



