ch. viii] PHOTOGRAPHING A LIONESS 187 
Next day we shifted camp to a rush-fringed pool by 
a grove of tall, flat-topped acacias at the foot of a range 
of low, steep mountains. Before us the plain stretched, 
and in front of our tents it was dotted by huge candel¬ 
abra euphorbias. I shot a buck for the table just as we 
pitched camp. There were Masai kraals and cattle 
herds near by, and tall warriors, pleasant and friendly, 
strolled among our tents, their huge razor-edged spears 
tipped with furry caps to protect the points. Kermit 
was off all day with Tarlton, and killed a magnificent 
lioness. In the morning, on some high hills, he obtained 
a good impalla ram, after persevering hours of climbing 
and running—for only one of the gun-bearers and none 
of the whites could keep up with him on foot when he 
went hard. In the afternoon at four he and Tarlton 
saw the lioness. She was followed by three three-parts- 
grown young lions, doubtless her cubs, and, without 
any concealment, was walking across the open plain 
toward a pool by which lay the body of a wildebeest 
bull she had killed the preceding night. The smaller 
lions saw the hunters and shrank back, but the old 
lioness never noticed them until they were within a 
hundred and fifty yards. Then she ran back, but 
Kermit crumpled her up with his first bullet. He then 
put another bullet in her, and as she seemed disabled 
walked up within fifty yards, and took some photos. 
By this time she was recovering, and, switching her tail, 
she gathered her hind-quarters under her for a charge ; 
but he stopped her with another bullet, and killed her 
outright with a fourth. 
We heard that Mearns and Loring, whom we had 
left ten days before, had also killed a lioness. A Masai 
brought in word to them that he had marked her down 
taking her noonday rest near a kongoni she had killed ; 
