A LION HUNT 55 



that of the wounded lion on the right, sprinkled with blood, 

 and that of the lioness, supporting him close at his side. 

 It is always a dangerous thing to follow up a wounded 

 animal right into the thick cover of his retreat. In this 

 case there would be the two infuriated Hons, which might at 

 any moment have been found, turning prepared to spring. 

 Jose at last realised the risk of it, so gave up the chase and 

 returned to camp. 



I was naturally rather put out that he had not been able 

 to keep his finger off the trigger, and still more so on realising 

 that his unsuccessful shot had perhaps spoilt my chance of 

 securing a hon, so, anxious to lose no time in getting on to 

 the tracks of the wounded animal, next morning, though 

 still feeling very ill, I got up to go after it. We knew that 

 the lions were still in our near neighbourhood by their cries 

 that we heard continually throughout the night, so we went 

 to the place where Jose had given up the chase the day before 

 and soon found the tracks again where the blood, in spite of 

 a very heavy dew, was still plainly visible. I pressed on 

 through the tall grass, with Jose to my right and Moussa 

 a little behind. Then came four carriers, bringing up the 

 rear. The fatigue of toiling some distance through the 

 jungle in my weakened state soon got too much for me, 

 and, feeling very sick, I found it all I could do to keep going, 

 much less support the weight of my rifle, so I gave it to 

 Moussa to carry. 



As I was almost giving in there appeared in the distance 

 a break in the monotony of the grass, where a slight depression 

 in the ground, marked by a cluster of trees, struck me as 

 being a likely refuge of the lions, so I struggled on, resolved 



