82 
THE NEW AFRICA 
hunting trip with Selous, had crossed at the junction while the 
water was low, and forgetting the present height of the river, 
instinctively made for this point, while the expedition turned off 
to the left at the water’s edge. Paul wandered about, discon¬ 
solately looking for us, and stumbled across a large troop of 
elephants whose tracks we had seen in our upward course; and 
then, thinking we had found a means of crossing the Sunta, he 
also crossed in the manner before mentioned, and searched the 
opposite side for our tracks. Towards evening he shot a pig 
with one of the three bullets in his possession, and making a 
skerm, prepared to renew his search for us next day. Told in 
Dutch, his tale now became most exciting :— 
‘ It was hardly dark when some lions came to “ ask for the 
pig ” ; but taking this up a high tree with me, I spent the night 
in great discomfort, as only those who have tried it can know. 
Next morning, leaving the meat in the tree, tied round with 
leaves to keep the vultures off, I went again in search of you, 
but could find no tracks where you had been walking, or hear 
any shots where you were shooting, so towards evening I came 
back to my meat, which luckily was as 1 had left it. Feeling 
very weary for want of sleep and grief, I fashioned a strong 
hut of poles, and got inside to sleep, but my thoughts troubled 
me very much. I had only two bullets left, and if you did not 
meet me soon I must walk back alone to George Westbeech at 
Panda Matenga and give him your things; but it is a long, 
dangerous way for one man to travel alone, and I did not know 
what to do. The three lions came again in the night, but did 
not roar much, not seeming afraid of me, and I could see them 
close to me through the chinks in the hut. They kept going 
round and round, and when they could not get in they whis¬ 
pered to each other, just like people do. I am sure lions talk to 
each other like people. Then one struck the hut with his paw, 
and I poked the gun out, but did not fire, as I was afraid to 
waste my two bullets, because I might want them to shoot food 
with on my journey back, and, baas, my heart was sore ! When 
daybreak came the lions left, and I went to look at a fire that 
