330. 
IN AFRICA 
from so near that they startled us. There seemed to 
be dozens of hyenas—a regular class reunion of 
them—yet not one could be seen in the “murky 
gloom.” And then, a moment later, we heard the 
crunching of teeth and the slither of rending flesh, 
and we knew that a supper party of hyenas was 
gathered about the festal board below us. I was 
afraid that they would eat up the carcass and thus 
keep away the lions, so I fired a shot to scare them 
away. There was a quick rush of feet—then that 
dense, expectant silence once more. Soon some 
little jackals came and were shooed away. Then 
more hyenas came, were given their conge, and 
hurried off* to the tall grass. And yet no lion. It 
was quite disappointing. 
At midnight, far off* to the north, came the 
grunting voice of a lion. I waited eagerly for the 
next sound which would indicate whether the lure 
of the bait was beckoning him on. And soon the 
sound came, this time much nearer, and after a long 
silence there was a sharp, snarling grunt of a lion, 
followed by the panic-stricken rush of a hundred 
heavy hoofs. The conjunction of sounds told the 
story as definitely as if the whole scene lay hared 
to view. The lion had leaped upon a harteheest, 
probably instantly breaking its neck, while the rest 
of the herd had galloped away in terror. And it 
had all happened within two or three hundred yards 
of the tree—yet nothing could he seen. 
At two o’clock the grunt of a lion was again 
heard far off* to the south. It came steadily toward 
