Evening star., 1925-07-05
Woman Hunting Trip Challenged by Five African Lions


OnderSOeS I
say Nonsense, it could not be done"
but it was, although l was not there
TO see how. How beautifully clear
the water was! l took a long, re-
freShing drink.
rs there no other way to Bardi-
mat?' / asked.
Yes, there was another way across
the mountains, perhaps IL miles.
When once you got to the top it was
quite easy. That was the cutting,
facing me. ! decided TO take it.
Rabsah declared his ability to get
wagon, blackboard, gombes (oXen) and
my horse and mule safely across, but
the wagon would have to be unloaded
first. That meant time, and am not
patient.
who will come with me?" I asked
Il want some one to carry Obadiah"
my pet lemur).
Two or three volunteered.
mo; one will do. Rabsah will want
as many as possible to help"
Up the cutting, followed by the
boy" l went What was IL miles? /
could have my afternoon siesta as
usual and then get in by o'clock; it
was still early, and 1 am a good
walker. AT Il o'clock we sat down to
rest and have some refreshment.
1t had taken some time longer than
I had anticipated getting to the top.
We could only rest for one hour; then.
doing 3la miles an hour, we should
still be at Bardimat by 4 o'clock. But
in this country one can be sure Of
nothing until it really happens.
Four O'Clock found us wearily look
ing for some one to show us the way.
The boy" who had protested that he
knew it perfectly, having been born
near here, now acknowledged that he
knew nothing of it. Just what l might
have expected, On we trudged; never
a soul did we meet until a quarter
to 6.
Then we met two women and man
with two children. Could they tell
me the way TO Bardimat? To see the
surprise on their faces almost made
me laugh. Evidently they had never
seen a white woman before. A lengthy
conversation took place between tftem
and my boy.
WHO was 1? Where did I live? Was
" I married? Was my husband
out here? Where was he? Was l
travelling alone? Why? What did 1
want to so to Bardimat for? What
was I doing in Masailand? How long
was I going to stay? How many chill
dren had I? And so on.
1t was some time before l could get
him away.
Now" I said, (which way do we
go? and how many miles off are we?"
Three miles, he replied. It seemed
to me that we had come 80 already.
How tired I was, 1 began to wish
had remained with the wagon. My
pace got slower and slower; then a
sensation Of giddiness came over me
and l became unconscious.
"Mem-sahib, Mem -sahib"' a voice
sounded in my ear, don't go to sleep;
look at the lions spoor. Mem-sahib, it
is getting dark. Wake up"
With an effort I rose and continued
my journey. Lions spoor there GER
tainly was, and leopards' also. Then
he began to tell me that this footpath
was the one always used by lions to
go to the water hole. about three
miles off.
Look, Mem-sahib," he said again;
and l did look, and 1 was quite pre-
pared to believe his version. The foot
marks crossed and recroSsed in be-
wildering succession. Big and little,
they seemed to dance before my eyes,
and once again 1 fell senseless, only
to be recalled to myself once more
with the oft-repeated Mem -sahib!
Mem -sahibi don't go to sleep"
It was no use; l was staggered on
few yards and had to give in. I
could do no more. l sat down and
leaned my head against a tree.
1--WE cannot be far from Bardimat
now" l said
You walk on quickly and tell the
Indians there that your Mem -sahib
is here and they must come and fetch
her. Take Obadiah, and if 1 am not
here when you come back you are
to let him go. Do you understand ?'
But, Mem -sahib, simba Qion),
chui Qeopard)," he demonstrated.
Go at once; tell the Indians they
must come and carry me-"
With a quick stride he was off.
and l watched his retreating figure
with something like regret, resolving
that, should I get out of this safely,
l would never again in this country
undertake journey alone.
Twelve miles l must have walk
Il cannot walk any further" 1
said. Then once more all became
blurred and l knew nothing. When
/ came to it was quite dark. Myr-
lads of grasshoppers We're chirping;
it sounded almost like the whirr of
machinery in the distance
A hyena uttered its complaining
note. Nearer there was a short,
sharp yelp of a jackal; and a night
hawk swooped down on noiseless
wings a stones throw away.
WHAT was that? I strained my
w ears to catch the sound. I had
not long to wait. The roar of a
lion, unmistakable as it was inspir-
ing. Hardly had it died away when
an answering challenge rang out on
my right, quickly followed by an
other and. yet another.
! found myself conjecturing the
distance the sound had travelled. A
lions roar can be heard a distance
of five miles. A. had said only the
other day Was that five miles off?
/ wondered I thought not. If so,
how long did it take a lion to cover
that distance? Again roar upon roar,
as if calling to each other to mortal
combat. No, certainly it was not
five miles; perhaps three, perhaps
less.
The next roar left me no longer in
doubt. One mile at the most l tried
to rise; my legs refused to support
me. OF what use, l thought, when
I had not the faintest idea which
way to go. How close it sounded!