More Lions 



the lioness in the night, and starting before dawn 

 had tracked her to within a mile or so of camp. 

 Here, foreseeing a long job before him, he gave his 

 hunters a rifle apiece, with instructions to wait 

 where they were, while he rode in unarmed to 

 get some food for himself, send some out to his 

 men, and to exchange the cap he had worn at 

 night for a sun-hat. So far so good. What, then, 

 were the shots ? Some camel-men had started 

 immediately on Eustace's arrival with food for the 

 hunters, who were almost within sight of camp, 

 and at this moment came rushing back. One, to 

 our horror, carried Eustace's '500 Express rifle, 

 open, the barrels choked with dirt and sand, and 

 covered with teeth and claw marks. This, they 

 excitedly related, they found surrounded by lion 

 spoor and the Somali never minimises things 

 lying in pools of men's blood ; no sign of either of 

 the hunters. In no time we were off, but had 

 hardly ridden a hundred yards when, to our relief, 

 we saw the men, one badly mauled, head and 

 shoulders torn to the bone and covered with teeth 

 and claw marks. He carried Eustace's 10-bore, or 

 what remained of it, as one barrel was blown right 

 off. Eustace, of course, had to go back and attend 

 to him, while I rode on after the lioness. I dis- 

 mounted near the scene of the catastrophe and 

 walked round the bushes till fearful snarling growls 

 betrayed where she was. I sat down opposite, 



*35 



