Evening star., 1931-04-05

beat out an endless amount of likely looking
cover, and about 10 we separated to make diff
ferent bomas for the night, going about two
miles away so we should not interfere with
each other. Arthur and Harry went back to
the sector they had tried before where their
gun boys planned to build the kind of bona
used in British East, and sent runners back
to camp for Herbert to come out and join me,
with the goats and supplies for both parties
had taken fancy to lions den. It was
in long thicket with a winding entrance, and
the nice bones in it led me to hope that
the lion had dined at home. tuft of tawny
hair stuck on a little beaten-down place i'll
the center, and a bit of soft ground in it had
the fresh print of lions pad. 1t might. Of
course, be the print of loness but it was
large, and I hoped for housekeeping pair
We were about five miles from camp, SO ses-
tied down under tree with Omari and the
pair Of porters.
After couple of hours Herbert appeared on
the Muley with the men bringing supplies for
the night, and while he set about the bona I
took the Muley and the men with the food and
water for Arthur and Harry and started over
to them. thought I had marked the direc-
ton well, but when the is standing straight
overhead directions have a way of veering,
and after one had ridden around several gull
lies the original dotted line on the mental
chart begins to waver. Fer some time beat
around a plain that refused to present any
recognizable landmarks until glimpsed dark
~
in direction I had not at all intended to
pursue, and then followed to the bona.
Riano and Seylim were building a splendid
affair of thorn and branches, rocmy and COM
Portable, and so cunningly introduced into the
thcket that the most astute lion could hardly
have detected it, Then Arthur and I dashed
back to camp for more coats and the four
R0AtS, which we parted between us. Plotting
No. porter with goats, I hurried on over
the rolling plains to the lions den. There
hort -
a place in the center and inserted the tiny
pup tent, facing it with boughs so everything
would look usual. 1t had been stiff piece
of work, and they had just finished when the
sun sank Gun boys and porters hurried off
toward the camp, leaving Herbert and me to
dine sketchily upon sandwiches and hot coffee
from the thermoS, and then bring into the
bona every trace of our occupation
At $50 we were inside, peering cut the tiny
hcles, sighting our guns the little mound
made by the two dead goats, securely tied to
stake so no lion could make of with them
Herbert had made two blood trails but like
Lady Macbeth's victim, there was pitifuIIy
little blood in them. However, any trail ought
to help divert the lion from snatching living
prey. One Of the goats was half white and we
could sight ON that. They were very near
about 20 feet of, but as soon as night fell they
seemed much farther away
Not the sound of a lion till 8 80, then call
Tar down in the brush at our left. There is
tlngling excitement in the waiting after a
call. The sound came every few minutes
finally answered by one or two lions on our
other side. Each time a lion sounded I lis
tened eagerly, telling myself encouragingly that
he was much nearer. 1t was so dark that we
couldn't have seen lion at 10 feet At IL 80
the moon came up, round and yellow and for
few moments the goats cleaned ghostly
white, and the bushes darky defined them
selves. Then the light grew overcast the air
dihused and vague. We were staring out in
tent but heavy eyed, when roar went off at
our backs like an explosion Then snarls,
fierce, deep-throated snarls, yibrated up and
down the edge of the tent.
our lion had come home. Finding the OPEN
ing blocked with thorn, he was padding
along back of the den, scraping his throat with
rage. We struggled silently and swiftly to get
our guns out of their holes and turn them the
other way round toward the racket He sound
ed mad enough to charge any instant and il
he had he could have scattered that brush like
jack strawS and slaShed that linen tent into
ribbons. We certainly breathed easier-though
with an aftermath of disappointment-when
after rasping below of rage at us, reverb erat-
ing like thunder, the uproar ended tamely in q
series of grumbles jogging of around the far
end of the thicket.
Suddenly I caught another muttering snarl
at the end OF the thicket. Our lion was still
there, meditating upon his wrongs. / waited,
tensely; then something big and dark like an
eclipse, began to flow across my field Of vision.
Still an apparition it came on and saw the,
big, dark silhouette of lion, high crested.
with royal name, projected against the NOON
filed air. He looked giant-a lion at night
looks as big as buffalo.
stealthy movement walked Herbert. We
dared not move our guns, for he was looking
straight at us. We held our breath, waiting
Then he looked away, toward the goats. and
we got in our two shots. Herbert gave me the
first, for he had all the lions he wanted last