284 
AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 
different tribes, even where widely separated. This cara¬ 
van had been followed by lions; and a day or two after¬ 
ward Kermit and Tarlton ran into what were probably 
these very lions. There were eleven of them: a male with a 
heavy mane, three lionesses, and seven cubs, some of them 
about half grown. As Kermit and Tarlton galloped after 
them, the Hon took the lead, the cubs coming in the middle, 
while the three lionesses loped along in the rear, guarding 
their young. The lion cared little for his wives and off¬ 
spring, and gradually drew ahead of them, while the two 
horsemen, riding at full speed, made a wide detour round 
the others in order to reach him; so that at last they got 
between him and the ten lionesses and cubs, the big lion 
coming first, the horsemen next, and then the lesser lions, 
all headed the same way. As the horsehooves thundered 
closer the lion turned to bay. Kermit—whose horse had 
once fallen with him in the chase—and Tarlton leaped 
off their horses, and Kermit hit the lion with his first shot, 
and, as it started to charge, mortally wounded it with a 
second bullet. It turned and tried to reach cover, and 
Tarlton stopped it with a third shot; for there was no time 
to lose, as they wished to tackle the other lions. After a 
sharp gallop they rounded up the lionesses and cubs. 
Kermit killed one large cub, which they mistook for a 
lioness; wounded a lioness which for the time being es¬ 
caped; killed another with a single bullet from his 30-40 
Winchester—for the others he used his .405 Winchester— 
and hit the third as she crouched facing him at two hundred 
yards. She at once came in at full speed, making a most 
determined charge. Kermit and Tarlton were standing 
near their horses. The lioness came on with great bounds 
