58 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



the long grass, making a circuit that took in several likely 

 spots and eventually brought us back again to the donga at 

 a point just above the lake without our having met with any 

 further success. With the sense of failure my feelings of 

 sickness returned and all were leg weary by now, so we were 

 not sorry when we had covered the half-mile that brought 

 us into camp. Here we found the " boys," eagerly awaiting 

 our return, having already sauced the lion chops in their 

 imagination, and doubtless gambled away its heart, for they 

 had heard the single shot which the native knows is 

 a sign of promise. But, once more they were destined to 

 disappointment. It was now noon and John the cook 

 greeted me grandly, conscious that he had spent his best 

 efforts on a dish of buck's liver, garnished with mashed 

 yams, and hoping that I had brought home with me, if not 

 the lion, at least an appetite begot of the lion, that would 

 do justice to his skill. When I realised what the delights 

 of such a pleasant meal, with tea and a pipe to follow, 

 would have been after all the exertion and excitement of 

 the long morning had I been in my normal health, I felt 

 very sorry for myself and, to John's dismay, could only 

 take a cup of bovril and afterwards tumble to bed to try 

 and sleep for years. 



Next morning, though feeling no better, the cry of the 

 lion about a mile from camp pulled me out of bed to go after 

 it, and we set out about six o'clock in the direction whence 

 it came down the Serikin Kudu road. As the cries grew 

 louder and told us we were getting near, Moussa got rather 

 jumpy and mistook a gentle kob, that was standing a little 

 way off in the bush quietly regarding us, for the king of 



