CHAP. VIII. 
MY FIRST LION-HUNT. 
49 
having just been knocked off the grass and not replaced 
by the heavy mist. We counted the 6 spoor’ or trace 
of seven lions, and could not tell at what moment we 
might come up with them, for we could ride at a fast 
walk on their track. All at once we came to a deep 
gully, about eight feet deep and twenty or thirty feet 
wide ; into this gully the lions had jumped, and we 
had to follow the 4 spoor ’ by riding on the bank above. 
These gullies are numerous in that part of the country, 
and are formed by the heavy rain or thunderstorms ; 
they continue for some miles on the flat grounds, start¬ 
ing from the foot of hills or mountains. We knew that 
this gully must soon terminate, as we were then ap¬ 
proaching Tea-bus, or Tea-canister Mountain, so called 
from its likeness to that article of furniture of the 
.Dutch shape. When we had got to within about 200 
yards of the termination of the gully, and close to 
the mountain, out jumped the seven lions—two males, 
two lionesses, and three cubs. They walked majesti¬ 
cally away from us, rather to the right, so that we had 
to continue to the head of the gully before we could 
get at them, and the lions were then about 150 yards 
from us, and a little scattered, a great black-maned 
lion being on the left. Old Dederick Putter, who had 
been appointed captain of the hunt, told us to dismount 
hastily, which we did ; the horses w 7 ere then turned with 
their tails to the lions, and were held by the buslimen 
E 
