, AND ADVENTURE 



when we reached it, so we cut the belly open and 

 made the trek-chain fast to the neck. 



Instructing the driver to follow me with the drag, 

 I led off by a circuitous route, in order to cover as 

 much ground as possible. The sun was just about 

 to set when I headed back for camp, and came out 

 upon the slightly wooded hollow where the sassaby 

 had fallen, but several hundred yards higher up. 

 Before dipping into this hollow I turned to satisfy 

 myself that the drag was following, and saw that it 

 was some hundred yards behind. I therefore halted 

 till it should come up, but suddenly, as I glanced 

 across the hollow, some objects moving through the 

 long grass about three hundred yards distant arrested 

 my attention. It required but a few seconds' observa- 

 tion to determine that these were four lions a young 

 male, a lioness, and two large cubs. They were 

 making across the hollow towards the dense bush, 

 alternately walking and trotting, and in the glare of 

 the setting sun looked particularly red in colour. 



But I did not stay long to inspect them at that 

 distance, preferring a somewhat closer interview, 

 though, be it said, not anticipating how unpleasantly 

 close that interview was to be. Running at my best 

 speed, I lost sight of them for a time in the long grass, 

 then came on them about a hundred and eighty yards 

 off. Even amid the pleasurable excitement of the situa- 

 tion I could admire their lithe, graceful contours, the 

 glorious bronze-red sheen which the light in the western 

 sky threw upon their sleek hides, and the unfettered 

 freedom of their long strides. They saw me at once, 

 and the lioness and cubs made off at top speed, but 

 the lion pulled up and stood broadside with lowered 



