Evening star., 1924-09-14

calm. For a moment | peer as hard
as l can at a shadow farther away.
Did 1t not move? Imagination. 1t is
only a white ant-heap; but when you
lie like this in tense expectation even
the shadows come to life And l roll
over again and resume my reflections.
Ny thoughts run away. The strange
charm of the wilderness gets into my
blood. The loneliness oppresses me
but it's pain is delicious.
What am I really doing here, in the
heart of Africa, far away from any
thing that can be called culture and
civilization? l, who ought to be at
home reading the morning papers over
my coffee, talking nonsense on the
telephone going to crushes and passing
the time with everyday trivialities
whilst | imagine myself useful ann
indispensable?
No. thank you, | prefer this free,
unfettered life that knows no other
laws than those you make for your
self. To trample unbeaten tracks
where nobody has walked before. To
be forced to rely completely and alb
soluteIy on yourself. Never to give
up the fight, but to pit the steelly
point OF your will against the armor
of difficulty, only to drill and bore
till you get through.
Africa That queer contrast OF
good and evil which grips the heart
and never lets go. 1t squeeZes and
presses till at last it crushes. The
blackest part of the world, which
nevertheless holds much that is
bright. Life in most intimate COM
munion with virgin nature un-
governable force, dreamy silence. icy
rainwinds. scorching sun. Africa.
whose emblem once upon a time was
a naked woman holding a scorpion in
her hand. the symbols OF love and
poison.
A dull growl quite close to the
bona" startled me out OF my
thoughts. In a second l was wide
awake and lay peeping out through
the loophole. Everything outside lay
stepped in moonlight-white,c cold. full
of expectation. At distance of
scarcely two yards lay the kill 1t
was so light that you could almost
count the hairs Of it's skin. and the
antheap farther away was sharply
defined against the background
Suddenly there is sharp rustic to
the right. pattering feet to the left
The next moment two large male
lions appear. each from his side. al
most ghostly and unreal in the white
light.
One comes crawling up as if ready
fright. The other one, more conscious
OF his superiority, walks erect and
therefore seems bigger. AS he stands
motionless, smiling with his nose
slightly raised. he is indeed a picture
of strength. agility and cruelty. There
really is something regal about his
appearance. He impresses you with
his calm greatness. his untamed saw
agery and his firm confidence that
n nf
and l begin to understand why the
species is called the king of animals.
marble. They appear almost
heraldic staring at each other.
Neither will allow the other to come
first to the feast. Then the one that
stands upright shakes his mighty
head. His name is tossed in brown
ish- black masses. 1t stands out like
gloria in the moonlight. Then he
walks carelessly up to the kob and
begins to eat.
The other one is still suspicious. He
walks carefully. His movements are
quick as lightning, but controlled and
well-balanced. He stares at the loop
hole and our eyes meet but only for
second. The next moment he also
lies by the buck and begins to seek
for the best pieces.
/ have looked into many lions eyes
at night, but l have never seen them
luminous. as so many hunters assert
But it sounds better in a description
to speak of eyes of fire that follow
the lonely wanderer in the dark
The animals are now so close that
could almost put my hand on them
The carcass cracks. The shreds OF
meat are flung about, the claws slash
and tear. The jaws grind and chew,
the red tongue licks the corners of
the mouth now and then. 1t is the
haunch that they want to get at first
of all-the delicacy above all others.
Each lion tears a different way. If