While We Were Busy Doing This, One Of The
Wa Kamba Suddenly Drew My Attention To The
Fact That We
Were actually being stalked at that
very moment by two other lions, who eventually
approached to within five hundred yards'
Distance
and then lay down to watch us skinning their
dead brother, their big shaggy heads rising every
now and again above the grass to give us a
prolonged stare. At the time I little knew what
a stirring adventure was in store for me next
day while in pursuit of these same brutes.
It was almost dark when the skinning process
was finished, so without delay we started on our
way back to camp, which was about seven miles
off. The lioness I thought I should leave to be
skinned the next day; but the men I sent out
to do the job on the morrow were unable to find
any trace of her - they probably missed the
place where she lay, for I am sure that I killed
her. It was a good two hours after night had
fallen before we got anywhere near the
railway, and the last few miles I was obliged to
do by the guidance of the stars. Tramping over
the plain on a pitch-dark night, with lions and
rhino all about, was by no means pleasant work
and I heartily wished myself and my men safely
back in camp. Indeed, I was beginning to
think that I must have lost my bearings and
was getting anxious about it, when to my relief I
heard a rifle shot about half a mile ahead of us.
I guessed at once that it was fired by my good
friend Spooner in order to guide me, so I gave
a reply signal; and on getting to the top of
the next rise, I saw the plain in front of me all
twinkling with lights.
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