A LION IN THE WAY 
91 
mous bored guns we carried, it was a bad lookout for the lion if 
he had really come within a few paces, although in the half-light 
one could not be sure of a shot at so small an object over ten 
yards. I was for advancing on the beast at once, but Jan had 
better counsel to give, advising that we should go home, one 
behind the other about five yards apart, he taking the lead. 
Any doubts I may have had in my mind regarding the nature 
of the dark object that lay crouching before us were soon dis¬ 
pelled ; for as we proceeded to follow out Jan’s plan the animal, 
still crawling—sliding would be a better term—on its belly, made 
a half-circle and came to our rear with astonishing quickness. 
Jan took the lead, and as I followed, walking half backwards to 
keep an eye on the lion, Jan warning me of obstacles in the 
path, the beast came on with a stealthy gliding motion most 
trying to our nerves. At last, after we had gone about five 
hundred yards, it made up its mind that we should escape unless 
it made a decided move, and then it glided rapidly up to within 
twenty yards, probably hoping that we would run away, when, of 
course, the programme would have had a speedy alteration in 
the lion’s favour. Telling Jan to look out, I stopped, and he 
also came forward to face the beast. We shouted and waved 
our hats, and again I begged Jan to come on and shoot the lion. 
Jan however overruled me, and as it went off* a little we re¬ 
sumed our slow march towards the camp, whose light we could see 
in the distance. We were just within hail of the camp when the 
lion made a determined effort to scare us by coming up with a 
rush; but fronting up as before, we set up such a shouting that 
the boys in the camp heard us, and, understanding the position, 
headed by Hammar, came running down drumming on pots, 
kettles, and pans with such a din that the lion, rising up on all 
four legs, trotted off with a growl, and we got into camp safely. 
After this experience it was agreed, in a consultation held 
at the camp fire, that the number to go shooting hippo in the 
night ‘from our camp’ would in future not be less than five 
well-armed men. 
On our way up the Chobe we passed another creek similar 
