60 Three Months' Leave in Somali Land. 



there to-morrow. They have sent a man to show 

 me the way. Must not forget to record Ali's 

 behaviour when the big lioness charged. He was 

 standing close to me with nothing but my rhino- 

 hide whip in his hands, and he moved not an 

 inch. That's what I reckon is the highest class 

 of courage. It looked like a charge home; in fact, 

 the distance from my footmarks to the nearest 

 furrow of her feet when she turned was less than 

 four yards. Had I killed her at six yards it 

 would have been a clear case of a lioness charg- 

 ing home. 



5th March, Monday. — The big lion came down 

 to water at Fanat last night, came past my zereba 

 without even having a look at the camels or the 

 donkey tied outside, and it was a pitch-dark 

 night with a little rain, I could not understand 

 it, I did not follow his tracks, as I wanted to get 

 the one wounded by the Midgans. I went to 

 their Jcaria, about one hour's march. They told 

 me they had heard the lion leap into the zereba, 

 and some men ran out to protect their cattle. 

 The lion entered one of the huts, seized a womau, 

 threw her over the fence and jumped after her, 

 and was off with her into the jungle before they 



