74 
AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 
our horses to try to ride him down. The plain sloped 
gently upward for three-quarters of a mile to a low crest or 
divide, and long before we got near him he disappeared 
over this. Sir Alfred and Kermit were tearing along in 
front and to the right, with Miss Pease close behind; while 
Tranquillity carried me, as fast as he could, on the left, 
with Medlicott near me. On topping the divide Sir Al¬ 
fred and Kermit missed the lion, which had swung to the 
left, and they raced ahead too far to the right. Medlicott 
and I, however, saw the lion, loping along close behind some 
kongoni; and this enabled me to get up to him as quickly as 
the lighter men on the faster horses. The going was now 
slightly downhill, and the sorrel took me along very well, 
while Medlicott, whose horse was slow, bore to the right 
and joined the other two men. We gained rapidly, and, 
finding out this, the lion suddenly halted and came to bay 
in a slight hollow, where the grass was rather long. The 
plain seemed flat, and we could see the lion well from horse¬ 
back; but, especially when he lay down, it was most diffi¬ 
cult to make him out on foot, and impossible to do so when 
kneeling. 
We were about a hundred and fifty yards from the lion. 
Sir Alfred, Kermit, Medlicott, and Miss Pease off to one 
side, and slightly above him on the slope, while I was on 
the level, about equidistant from him and them. Kermit 
and I tried shooting from the horses; but at such a distance 
this was not effective. Then Kermit got off, but his horse 
would not let him shoot; and when I got off I could not 
make out the animal through the grass with sufficient 
distinctness to enable me to take aim. Old Ben the dog 
had arrived, and, barking loudly, was strolling about near 
