250 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



and exposed the sand, lay the remains of a lesser 

 koodoo. It had been partially eaten, but not by vul- 

 tures, a lion evidently, because it had begun on the 

 hind quarters and eaten about half the animal. The 

 antelope's head was thrown back, and the fore legs 

 were tucked beneath him. The lion had sprung 

 from the grass straight on to his prey. The horns 

 swept the hunched shoulders, and I think it must 

 have been my friend of the morning. 



Judging by the way in which the birds were acting, 

 coming near, and then retiring, and taking into con- 

 sideration the fact that they had not ventured to the 

 kill, it was likely that the lion was now lying close to 

 the meat, watching it, until the internal arrangements 

 permitted of eating some more. This is a very usual 

 thing with the big cats. Was it nice to be in this durr 

 grass with a lion, even a fed-up one ? 



We decided to hurry back to camp and try and get 

 out some of the men before the light gave in, to build 

 us a " machan " over the dead antelope, in which 

 we should keep watch and ward all night in the hope 

 of bagging the lion as he returned to his kill. Our first 

 idea was that one of us — to be decided by tossing up — 

 should remain in the jungly place to see that time 

 was not taken by the forelock by his majesty. But, 

 debating the point, we thought it was going to be a 

 trifle lonely for the one left behind, with night, and 

 possibly a lion, coming on. 



We made our way out as quickly as possible, and 

 careering back to camp as though all the fiends were 

 after us, brought Clarence and four of the hunters 



