The Delta independent., 1909-05-21
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Two OF my men got badly mauled by
n lion. so our camp had TO stop where
1t was TIL they could be moved. After
a time one Of them was able to walk
about with his arm in a sling. and the
other was getting on well. so one night
| decided TO leave the big camp next
day and go with two or three camels
TO some villages only a days march
away. Early the next morning Ma
homed Moor the headman. started
with the camels. stopped behind to
get some breakfast. Just as We were
going to follow. a camelman. who had
gone up the riycr.bed close by to get
some water. came running back To say
that lion had been down to drink
nj one OF the shallow sand wells in the
night | started at once with Abdul
lab and two other trackers. telling my
pony boy to follow on as soon as he
could get the pony saddled. when
tracking. | have always found II the
best plan to have the pony led some
distance behind. Tho boy ought to
have no difficulty In following the
tracks OF two or three men and
lion. and II the pony is kept close
up. II is sure to stamp or blow its
nose Al the GTllChl moment
when We got to the well there was
the spoor plain enough in the sand.
but rather blurred by some rain which
had fallen at daybreak. This made
the tracking "A little difficult after We
left the river-hed but when We had
followed II slowly for scme distance.
we came to a place where the lion had
lain down uader thick bush. evi.
IDENTITY to shelter from the rain. as tie
spoor after this was quiet distinct on
the top of the damp ground. This
mad" us think we were in for short
track. fer IT must have been light
when the lion went on again from
here and Aons generally lie up short.
~ after the sun rises: but this d'.'
proved nm exception. be sLse 1t was
cloudy and cool through the forenoon.
Trailing the King OF Beasts.
The track at last ed us down
little sandy watercourse. which 1t fol
lowed for some distance. Up to this
time we had had no real difficulty
in making IT out. but new came our
FIRST serious check The nullah turned
OF along the side of stony ridge.
and, instead of going along 1t, the
lltu na lurH'u up Alf mn We
got the general direction th- the lion
had been going in. but this was no
good to us. as on casting forward in
the same line to the bottom of the
other side OF the ridge whore Il ,re
WAS some sandy ground, we could find
no sign OF his having passed in that
direction. We spent some time hunt.
Ing about. growing less hopeful as
time went on. A man following
trail by sight certainly has an enor-
nous advantage over n hound hunting
II by nose. because time is OF no
particular object to lin. and every
direction can be tried In turn. After
making out cast forward we went
back to the little water-course. and
followed that down for some distance.
hoping that the lion had turned dowa
hill ngain: but here. too. we were dis
appointed. and gray it,tcd back to
where we had first lost the spoor. We
knew that the lion had not gone
straight on, nor had he turned back.
he must have gone along the top OF
the ridge and then crossed into other
stony hills where IL was hopeless to
try to track him.
Abdullah, who IL never defeated,
said there was n big rivcr-bed further
on In the direction in which the lion
was going II seemed very slender
chance, ss he might have turned on
anywhere In between. bu. = was the
only one, NO on we went. We were
evidently in luck that day, for we had
only gone about n quarter OF mile
v',n we struck tho spoor The lion