32 Three Months' heave in Somali Land. 



could do nothing with him in that place, made 

 zereba to sit up at night ; lion at about 8.30 

 came suddenly round corner of my zereba, so 

 close to the shooting hole that I could have 

 touched him ; he was oft* with a roar before I 

 could raise gun, and stood about eight yards off 

 growling loudly. I could not make him out as 

 he had a deDse bush for background. Jama 

 begged me to shoot or he would go, so I fired at 

 the noise; lion roared loudly at the shot and 

 after about a second galloped off. Miss, I 

 thought. Nothing more except a hyaana till 

 morning. 



8th, Thursday. — Took up tracks at 5.45, found 

 blood, but no great quantity, all legs sound, 

 blood high up where he brushed through grass ; 

 grazed neck or top of shoulder, I think. After 

 about a mile, put up lion in cover about fifteen 

 yards ahead, could not see him. went round the 

 patch, no tracks out, as it was partly dense, high 

 grass, and partly thick bush. Ordered it to be 

 burnt, I sitting ahead. Fire soon went out, 

 nothing came. Jama came and said there was 

 a thick bit of bush unburnt. After much 

 persuasion he got me to go in. I did not like 



