CHAPTER III 



A LION HUNT 



Owing to the thickness of the bush on the Serikin Kudu 

 ridge, we had found it impossible to take up points by day. 

 Accordingly, on May 4, my brother went the six miles out 

 there in order to light beacons which Talbot might work on 

 from Ibi. As there was nothing for me to do in quarters, I 

 followed on on the 5th, with the idea of lending assistance, 

 should it be required, and hunting by the way. 



The road led through bush forest of Senegambian cha- 

 racter and broad stretches of elephant grass. About two 

 miles out of Ibi it crossed the River Simanka twice, for the 

 stream was very serpentine. It is a pretty river, well wooded 

 on both banks, which are high at the bends and afford 

 thickly tenanted nesting colonies for the red-breasted bee- 

 eater {merops nuhicus). At the time of year the water was 

 very low, and as its course and the direction of my journey 

 lay for some four miles together, I travelled the distance 

 along the river-bed. I arrived at the small village which 

 gives the ridge its name at about six o'clock in the evening, 

 and, learning from the natives the whereabouts of my brother, 

 went out and found him about one and a half miles to the 

 east cutting the bush and lighting huge fires on the highest 

 point of the ridge and climbing high trees in the hopes of 

 catching sight of an answering beacon from Talbot. But 



