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CHAPTER III. 
We sight a large lion — ^Sitting up at night for lions — Lost in the jungle — 
Lost again — Oryx antelope— Fight in camp — Tracks of lions — 
Eeports of leopards — Night adventure with a leopard. 
Next morning the ground was covered with a heavy 
dew. We marched at 5.30 till we reached a spot where 
thirteen lions were reported to be about the neighbourhood, 
and two had been seen the day before. Since leaving 
Hargaisa six days ago, twenty-one lions had been reported, 
yet not one had we seen. In the afternoon I wounded an 
‘ owl ’ gazelle in the shoulder, and as we were within a mile 
of the camp, I sent for the pony and galloped after the 
gazelle till I brought him to bay. When at bay, he butted 
at the pony’s legs in very game fashion, poor brute ! and it 
was all I could do to keep in the saddle. At length I shot 
him through the neck with my revolver. Unfortunately, 
in the scuffle one of his horns got broken, otherwise he 
would have made a very handsome trophy. I reached 
camp just as a terrific thunderstorm burst upon us. 
Another wet night was followed luckily by a fine day. 
I went out and soon caught a glimpse of a bull koodoo 
retreating before us. After following its spoor, which was 
easily seen in the wet ground, we came across the tracks 
of three lions going in the opposite direction. As they 
were fresh, we followed the track, leading us into thick, 
low tree jungle, with next to no undergrowth. After 
following for upwards of three miles, the tracks showed 
that the lions had separated, and that two (evidently a 
female and half-grown cub) had gone one way, whilst the 
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