Diary. 61 



could do anything. They tracked him next 

 morning and put him up, firing some arrows at 

 him, one of which they said hit him in the side; 

 the arrow had a little poison on. I found the 

 lion had lain down in several places, and had been 

 sick several times, and I was certain it was the 

 big one. Presently we found this morning's 

 track leading out of the deuse bit, and we took it 

 straight back to my camp. We got back at twelve 

 o'clock with all the morning wasted. I was dead 

 tired, for I had sat up over the tied donkey again 

 last night. We tracked him through fairly thin 

 jungle with occasional thick bits (very small ones), 

 the first thick bit that his tracks led into. Jama 

 got up a tree to see if he could make him out; he 

 saw him about 150 yards off sneaking away ; said 

 he was an enormous beast, very dark, without 

 much mane. He was evidently very wide awake, 

 as we had come quietly. After having repeated 

 this performance to two more thick bits, the next 

 one we came to I went quietly on ahead, round 

 by the right, but he w T as too smart and broke out 

 to the left. Then a heavy thunder-shower came 

 on and washed out tracks, so we gave up. I am 

 afraid the Midgans have frightened him too much 



