46 Three Months' Leave in Somali Land. 



make up my mind, whether to shoot or not, 

 quick enough and lost the chance ; followed his 

 tracks a bit, as we were not in ground where 

 lion would lay up. Found tracks of the lion 

 going away from Derio after a drink; followed for 

 about two miles, tracks led on to a low stony 

 hill, where we could carry them no further ; 

 beat the hill towards a nullah, where there was 

 dense cover ; had the lion been on the hill I think 

 he must have come to me. He did not turn up, 

 and I think must have gone on to a thick bit 

 about two miles further, but the ground gave 

 us no chance. He was heading for Fanat, and I 

 expect him here to-night. 



23rd, Sunday. — No lions at Fanat. People 

 down at the wells half the night. Found tracks 

 of yesterday's lion at Dabino ; tracked him to 

 Derio; wells there just stamped with pugs. 

 Moved camp back to Derio again ; I ought not 

 to have left it. Pugs led over very stony 

 around, had AH only with me, he tracked beauti- 

 fully, all the way up a long stony valley with 

 hardly a single plain footmark the whole way. 

 Lion went into a range of hills where the best 

 tracker in the world could have done nothing. 



