2 14 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. xxn 
usually occurs about two hours after death), I 
set off in pursuit of the lion. We followed his 
tracks for some hours, but as he had only received 
a flesh wound and the blood spoor was very 
slight, we eventually lost all trace of him. 
Towards evening, I returned to the river, where 
I found that my men had already succeeded in 
dragging the hippo’s lumbering body ashore. On 
examining the carcase, I discovered that the lion, 
besides covering the animal’s face and head with 
claw marks, had gouged out his left eye and 
almost bitten off his right ear, the nature of the 
wounds leaving little doubt in my mind that he 
would have managed to kill his victim, had I 
not appeared so inopportunely on the scene. 
