TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 177 



ing roars, in which his personal animus railed at us. 

 I instructed the men to remain as they were, talking 

 and endeavouring to weary the lion into breaking 

 cover, whilst I did a stalk. 



When investigated from the other side, the citadel 

 chosen for the great stand was of less dense khansa, 

 and the umbrella tops made great dark shelters for the 

 tunnels between the stems. It was most exciting and 

 dangerous, and I had so many things to plan and think 

 out. I crawled in, and commenced to work my way 

 towards the place occupied by my enemy, whose exact 

 position could be located to a nicety by his growls and 

 snarls, and the noise he kept up was of the greatest 

 help to me. Even the lightest, deftest tracker could 

 hardly go through bush like that in silence. 



It was very dark at first in my covert, but at intervals 

 it lightened up. I crawled for the best part of half an 

 hour, and then, when my aching hands almost refused 

 to drag me farther, I found myself in dense under- 

 growth, in the actual vicinity of the lion, who half- 

 standing, half-crouching, was facing, in sparser cover 

 the direction of my hunters and the scene of the catas- 

 trophe. There was nothing to fire at but swishing tail. 

 The grass and aloes hid any vital part, and I dared not 

 miss, whatever came about. A heart shot, or a head 

 shot it must be, or the sportswoman ! Oh, where was 

 she ! The thought struck through my brain of the 

 imminence of my danger should Clarence or one of 

 the others take to some flank movement whereby the 

 present position of things might be altered by a hair's 

 breadth. As it was, time was what I needed, and I 



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