The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-09-16
The DEAD LAQW
RANfW RAJJEWGEW

Ing for tracks Of lion, with no result,
and on arrival ut camp T was greeted
with the new that a lioness had
killed a big goat before sunset the
previous day while the goats were out
grazing. I had lunch, and was doubt
full whether to go OF not, as it seemed
"a very poor chance so late in the day.
Elme, my Somali, had been taken i'll,
so I had no shikari. However, B.,
who had very kindly ~foregone the op-
p%ortunity Of going for her himself,
lent me Had, and of we went about
two miles, where we found the horns
and n or two small pieces of goat.
Haid quickly got on to the track,
which he followed at the rate of four
miles ar hour, until we got into a
valley next beyond one in which B.
had got a big lion a few days before,
which we believe was the father of
the cubs Getting on to stony ground
made things more difficult, but he still
followed the tracks at a good pace,
and we went some way along a small
nullah until Haid began to think we
might be neal So he and I went for.
ward while the others went up the
mullah. However, the track kept to
the side of the nullah, and we pres.
emily got to a part where the Mullah
divided and thick bushes grew all
round. Here we walked about search.
ing for the track. Presently we heard
"a whistle, so Haid and I rushed round
to where Syce was standing with
rather a scared face, pointing to the
bushes close beside him. Just then
saw the lioness sinking between the
bushes about 80 yards of, and, as she
was disappearing, l had a snap shot.
There was a growl, and the beast
Jumped into the air and Immediately
disappeared. We ran, Haid telling me
to make a detour so as to come on the
beast from an unexpected quarter;
but it had gone on, and we soon got
took us some way, then turned back
.at an acute angle more than once. It
was now dusk, and the tracks had
taken us back to the spot where I had
first shot. So Haid, vowing that the
beast must be severely wounded or 1t
would have gone further, said we must
give it up and return the next day,
when we should certainly find the
beast dead. So confident was he that
the men sang their triumphal lion
song all the way back, which, of
course, had the effect Of bringing out
the entire camp, which was a case of
counting chickens before they were
Matched.
Next day we we're OF again in good
time, and on getting near the place
came right on to fresh tracks. At first
i thought 1t was a different lion and
that we should find the other dead;
but this soon proved not to be the
case, as we found blood. The tracks
were only visible here and there and
appeared to lead uphill towards the
valley where B. had shot a lion. How
ever, we searched about the bushes
with rifles at the ready for some
time, until we heard a honey-bird chat
tering Justify in the nullah. These
.honey-birds come and call to guide a
man to where there is a bees nest, in
$1,000
the hopes that the man will get at the
honey which they themselves cannot
get at. But they also have a way Of
calling men II they 9 a lion or q
snake. Haid took it as a good indica-
ton; SO we left the bushes and fol-
lowed the bird up the hill to the top.
where 1t appeared to have nothing
more to show. Finding NJ tracks
Haad decided on a search down below
where we had previously been; but to
cut a long story short, after two hours
search we found that the bird had
been quite correct, and We took. Up
the track again at a point just be-
yond where we had left 1t. Another
three hours al spent looking for the
tracks over in the next valley, the
men being divided into three parties.
ultimately Haid pointed me out a
:smudge in the graved soil which he
said was the lioness. Although I had
done a good deal of tracking. I could
see no shape at all; but on inspection
I've found. some twenty yards further