Evening star., 1925-06-28

n lIOH la6lE IlldLy dlld I'd Col-
lection of hutS) about seven
miles away, and begged us
to go and shoot some lions
that were taking toll OF their bullocks.
The next evening we rode over and
took up our quarters in tree, be-
ing pushed and pulled into position
with some difficulty. 1t was not long
before it became dark.
The Nasal had diSa appeared, like
rabbits to their burrows: nothing was
to be heard save the occasional Jingle
of cowbells or the bleat of a goat.
A young moon looked down for
short while, then disappeared. The
last few Spirals of smoke went up
from the Nasal fires, then died away.
The Nasal themselves were obeying
instructions implicitly: no singing, no
laughing tonight.
A fretful wall, soon hushed, from one
hut broke the stiffness. Tiny Quadru-
peds denizens Of the forest, came
forth, searching around the Nasal
abodes for offal. Nighthawks gave
their rasping cry. I put out my hand
and touched A; 1t was something to
feel him near, although l could not
see him.
Feeling creepy" he asked. No,
hardly that; but 1 was wondering If
pythons were night animals, or rather
reptiles" Incidentally, the memory
of a 22-foot python that A. had shot
two days previously. flashed though
my mind; and l recalled the walls OF
our home, with neat frescoes OF this
same beast encircling the rooms,
brought in by the Nasal. Inwardly l
compared the two. Which were the
more fearsome-lions or pythons? i
would give anything for a cigarette
WHISPERED A. as the hours crept on.
He was an inveterate smoker, and
of a
smoke was simply purgatory. l well
knew. Then a happy thought came
to me. Had 7 not emptied whole
tin of chocolates into my pockets
prior to our start? Joy untold!
Hastily 7 dived my hand in, brousht
out a quantity and handed them up
to A.. rather smashed. II is true, but
still eatahle.
We sat and munched while the
hours crept slowly by. How cold 1t
became and how cramped l felt. But
for the difficulty of getting up again
really think l should have got down
and stretched my legs. l was in
fork, where. as A. said, l just htted'
He certainly had room to turn
1T must be nearly l o'clock, said
A. BE on the alert now" And again
came the whispered sigh, "Oh for
smoke This, of course, was out OF
the question.
Another half hour crept by. 1
stifed a yawn. All at once the cry of
a hyena sounded, then sanother, then
another. Instantly I was awake. for
in all probability they were following
in the footsteps of the lion, scaven-
gers for anything he might XIII, any
remains he might leave.
BE ready" AS tone was tense.
Ready" I replied, and strained my
eyes through the darkness, but could
see nothing. Again came the vail of
the hyenas. nearer now. Would it
never get light? In Africa it is day
light almost instantly.
0UR tree was situated Just over a
~ weak spot in the cattle bona Tin
cloeure), where the lions had entered
the previous night, purposely left
weak now as an invitation. Straight
downward at this gap our guns were
pointed, but if the beast came now 1t
would be but haphaZard shot, for as
yet we could see nothing. Nearer came
the hyenas, their numbers SWelled by
now. What an uncanny sound 1t was
in the stiffness of the night. A bough
cracked in an adjacent tree. Horrorsi
Ny heart stood still. Are we two be-
ing stalked by leopard? VIII day
light never come?
"Oh" I gasped. did you hear
that?"
A long g.drawn-out "Eh-h-hw was the
only answer. I looked through the
enveloping branches down toward the
gap in the bona. and, indistinct, it is
true, but still discernible. were two
shadowy forms. The crackle of the
thorn bush told us they were forcing
their way through.
Quick" from A. Two shots rang
out simultaneously, followed by two
more, and yet two again, fired right
into the struggling mass below.
Instantly the manyatta was alive.
Out the Nasal swarmed with cries of
"Chui! Chuir" CLeopard! Jeopardy
as huge beast leapt from the tree in
which I had heard the bough break
and disappeared, and in the next
breath, as they crowded to the bona,
"sirnba. Simba!" cLion. Lion!D
It was then daylight, and the breath
scarcely out of the bodies of the two
dead brutes, which had doubtless ac-
counted for so many Nasal oxen.
AS quickly as can write it, A. was
on the ground.
"Dead?" he queried.
Dead" was the reply.
"Oh! Are you still up there?"
or course, / was, and likely to re-
main unless some one assisted me.
They helped me out of my cramped
position, and when it was sufficiently
light we took photographs of the lions,
male and female. Two more skins
to decorate our walls.
The hills around were particularly
fascinating, and often our evening ride
was taken up one or the other, zig
tagging up the whole way until it be-
cane too steep for the horses to climb
any farther. Then, leaving them in
charge Of boy, A. and I made the
ascent alone. What glorious views we
obtained whom the top was reached,
we'll repaying our exertien in getting
there.
One day A. suggested "safari" to
a place called Siana, right on the bor
der of what is now Tanganyika. 1
quickly fell in with this suggestion.
IT was a scorching day when the
start was made, although the first
few hours were most enjoyable.
That evening in the gathering
darkness boy ran on ahead with q
lantern: the horses were evidently
horses neck. and rode gun in hand.
Had We not better camp?"
The boy was called. and interroga-
ton ELECTED the fact that he did not
know where he was.
'Ts there any water nearby?" A..
asked. The boy thought there was.
just behind that ridge OF trees. We
went toward them.
IT don't think It would be wise to
20 any farther" remarked A.
Eight boys take a debe" ttin can;
kerosene tins are nearly always used)
'and get water"
ons and all refused. They said the
boy was not sure that there was any