50 Three Months' Leave in Somali Land. 



2nd March, Friday. — No lions. Went out 

 after breakfast, beat all the thick bits round here 

 with seven men. Had a chance at a wild dog, 

 thirty yards, galloping all he knew ; went under 

 him both barrels. I cannot shoot running shots 

 with the 500. I could have made certain of hit- 

 ting him with the paradox (12-bore) had it not 

 come to grief. Saw nothing else. Khabber that 

 my big-footed friend has been four nights running 

 to a haria beyond Fanat, at a place called Hador, 

 has killed one donkey, and took a goat out of 

 zereba last night. Start for there to-morrow. 



3rd March, Saturday. — Sat up in zereba with 

 donkey. About 2 a.m. was roused out of a com- 

 fortable sleep by a rush and much noise. The 

 brave donkey and some animal were on the 

 ground together, but which was which I could 

 not tell. They were only five yards off, but the 

 night was pitch dark and cloudy. I heard only 

 a crunching of bone and sucking of blood. After 

 about five minutes the lioness (for it was a 

 lioness) got up and began trying to drag the 

 donkey backwards. I fired at her shoulder as 

 she was tugging as a terrier pup at a rope, and 

 she dropped. All I heard was a sound as of an 



