GRASS OR LION? 
325 
anything like a proper opportunity to peer into the thickets; 
so I cautiously made my way 'out of that/ watching that 
nothing followed closely, and, going on, reached Stremboom’s 
wagon just after daybreak. The boys, who arrived about half 
an hour later, confessed to hearing the same lion growl on 
passing the spot, and also said that they had seen the track 
of a large lion following on mine for some distance along the 
sandy road. While we inspanned and trekked on, they were 
sent back to Umkook’s camp, where they belonged. On passing 
the spot in daylight on the return journey, where the growl was 
heard in the morning, they saw a lion lying in a small thicket 
behind the carcase of a quagga the beast had killed. Giving 
it a wide berth they hurried on and took the information to 
Umkook’s camp, where Hainmar, wishing to pay off old scores, 
spite of his foot, immediately set out with Franz, Umkook, and 
several boys, to shoot the lion. When they neared the spot, the 
boys pointed out the bush where the lion lay, but all they could 
see was what they decided must be a tuft of yellow grass lying 
in the thicket, and concluding the boys must have been mis¬ 
taken in the exact locality of the bush, Hammar walked past 
and peered into the next bush, when Franz, who had with 
laudable precaution remained well behind, called out to 
Hammar to look again at that ‘ yellow grass/ wisely not men¬ 
tioning the word lion for fear of startling Hammar, who, being 
a bit shortsighted, did not at once realise that he was actually 
standing within seven yards of a fine large yellow-maned lion 
crouching near him. By the time he had taken in the posi¬ 
tion, one of the boys, for reasons best known to himself, fired 
from behind at the lion, close by Hammar’s side, and inter¬ 
fered with Hammar’s shot. Startled from its position the 
lion, with an enormous bound and a barking roar, sprang out 
behind the bush, and disappeared in the distance before any 
one could get another shot into it. Much disgusted with the 
whole affair Hammar returned to camp, and spent the balance 
of his time in slaughtering innumerable duck and small buck 
until our return. 
