The new era., 1909-05-27

zelles, leopards, warthog and innu-
merable dikdik and birds. In the
rocky hills l saw several klip-spring
ers.
One morning my companion was
reused by his natives, who told him
that three lions were just crossing a
strip of open ground within 100 yards
of his camp. Before he was ready,
two or three of the men jumped on
ponies and galloped after the lions
three very fine males with names
which were by that time making of
The natives meant to try and keep
them engaged till the hunter had
time to get his rifle and cartridges
and catch them up. The lions were
galloping among scattered mimosa
scrub, making for the thick bush be-
yond, and with an object in view
lion can get along at very fair pace
in the cool of the morning. One OF
the men got start of the others and
was rapidly overhauling the lions,
when he lost sight of them for a mo-
ment. He galloped up to the bush
where he had last seen them, and as
he rounded it, one lion came at him
from behind and the other two from
the front. They had got sick of run
ming and had waited for him. The ma
tive did a very clever thing. There
was no chance of getting away by
galloping, as he was regularly hemmed
in, SO, half checking the pony, he put
his heel on its wither, and jumped
right into the middle of a mimosa
bush. Almost as he jumped the lions
knocked the pony over. and when my
companion came up he found them
eating 1t, taking no notice OF the
dismounted men close by. The first shot
hit one, and while he was following
1t up the other two gave his men the
slip. These two lions were decidedly
out of luck, as / got them the same
night
Approaching Big Game in Jungle.
That morning a lioness killed a
heifer close to my camp. had al
ready seen her tracks several times.
but they had always led us on TO some
stony hills where we had lost them.
1
again, so, thinking she would probably
come back that night to finish the
heifer, we decided to sit up for her.
We therefore made an enclosure of
thorns under a mimosa Eush near by.
The hat top of the bush came
down to meet the thorns built
up all around and one could
hardly tell the whole thing was
not bush. In the front there was q
hole to shoot through. and at the back
we left an opening so that we could
get inside. After this we returned
back to camp, and in the evening after
dinner went off again, taking my bed
ding on donkey. This donkey was
also to serve as bait, for the natives
had cut up and taken away the heifer.
We tied the donkey by one foreleg.
almost touching the fence of our
zereba, and after showing in my bed
ding, crawled in through the opening
at the back. Two men who had
come with us crammed this hole up
with thorns, and then went away,
talking loudly to make the lioness
think that all was safe if she were
anywhere near.
After looking about for some time
made out the lioness sinking along
behind our bush. She would not come
up to the donkey, but lay down some
way off under bush. There was no
hole on that side, so | could not shoot
with any certainty; and at last, need
ing sleep, l lay down. telling Abdulla
to keep his eye on the lioness, and
wake me if there was any chance of
a shot l had not slept long when he
touched me, at the same time putting
his hand over my mouth to prevent
me calling out on being suddenly
awoke. | got up on my knees, looking
out of the hole, but for moment i
could not make out anything.
1t was a lovely night, but even by
the brightest moonlight lion is not
a very easy thing to see. There was
an open glade in front of the donkey,
and. at last, standing out in the open,
I saw two lions. They seemed as If
they could not make out why the
donkey did not run away, and stood
quite still looking at him. AS
watched they suddenly started, and
came racing towards us side by side
IKE two enormous dogs. When the
lions got up to the donkey they did
not seem to stop their rush, but
donkey and lions all went down with
a crash together. How they actually