390 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



and he replied, " Assad " (Lion). I leaped to my feet 

 and ran toward him, just in time to see a lion can- 

 tering off into the darkness. The Soudanese said that 

 for an hour or so he had heard the deep breathing of 

 one of these beasts, but for some time was unable 

 to find the whereabouts of the animal, till at length 

 in the darkness he distinguished the flaring eyes of 

 the lion turned towards him, at a distance of fifty or 

 sixty feet. Not knowing I was awake, nor wishing 

 to disturb the camp, he contented himself with hurl- 

 ino: stones and curses at the animal ; and these, to- 

 gether with the sound of my voice and feet, as I ran 

 toward the watch, were sufficient to frighten the lion 

 away. 



One of the few amusing occurrences which happened 

 to relieve the dreary monotony of the continued nerv- 

 ous strain to which I was during this time subjected, 

 was the following. Early one morning I came upon 

 a fine water-buck standing fifty or sixty yards from 

 the river, and not many more from me. We sighted 

 one another simultaneously, and the animal broke for 

 the neighbouring bush — • not, however, before he had 

 received a shot in the hip from my rifle. At once 

 Felix and the two puppies bounded after him in full 

 cry. The bush was so thick that I could not see 

 them, but I could hear their shrill barks, and the 

 cracking of the bush, as the water-buck dashed through 

 it. Presently he came straight at me, his horns lying 

 along his back, and the three dogs at his heels. The 

 sight was so interesting, that I stayed my hand. On 

 he dashed, and plunged into the river, where the dogs 

 followed him. The Guaso Nyiro at that point was 



