第89章

Itmaybereadilyimaginedthataccidentsfrequentlyoccurinthegreathuntsalreadydescribed，asitisquiteimpossibletospeculateuponthespeciesofanimalthatmaybedrivenintothenet。AfinelittleladofaboutelevenyearswaskilledbyaleopardwithinamileofmyFatikostation。Thegrasshadbeenfired，andtheanimalsinstinctivelyknewthattheywerepursued。

Theboywenttodrinkatastreamclosetosomehighreeds，whenaleopardpounceduponhimwithouttheslightestwarning。Anativewhowasclosetothespotrusheduptotherescue，andthrewhisspearwithsuchdexteritythathestrucktheleopardthroughtheneckwhileithadtheboyinitsmouth，killingituponthespot。Theboywasimmediatelybroughttome，butthelungswerelacerated，andhediedduringthenight。

Onanotheroccasionfivemenwerewounded(twofatally)byalioness，whichfoughtsogallantlythatsheatlengthescapedfromherassailantswithtwospearsinherbody。

Iwasnotpresentonthatoccasion，butIhavefrequentlyadmiredthepluckoftheShoolinatives，whoattackeveryanimalwiththesimplehunting-spear，whichofcoursenecessitatesacloseapproach。

On30thDecemberIwentoutwithafewnativesontheFabboroad，simplytoshootinordertoprocuremeatforthecamp。Wewereabouttenmilesfromthestation，andthegamewassowildontheopenprairiesthatwefounditimpossibletoapproachwithinshot。Wehadseengreatnumbersofthebeautifulleucotisantelope(ratherlargerthanafinefallowbuck)，alsohartebeest(Antelopebubalis)，allofwhichhadquittedthecleangroundwhichhadrecentlybeenburnt，andhadretiredtothehighgrassuponalongslopingundulation。

Amongournativesweretwomenwhoweretheownersofthemanor；theythereforeproposedthatweshouldplacethegunsinposition，whiletheyshouldmarchuptowindward，andfirethegrassintheusualmanner。

LieutenantBakerwasplacedabout300yardstomyleft，andColonelAbd-el-Kaderabout150pacestomyright。Aswefacedthehighgrasswehadthegroundclearatourbacks，astheyoungherbagewasjustsproutingaftertherecentburning。

Asusual，Iwasconcealedbyalargeant-hill，behindwhich，mytwoboysSaatandBellaalsquattedwithmyspareguns。About100yardsbeforeme，inaslighthollow，thegrasswasquitegreen，asthedepressionhaduntillatelyheldwater。Thisrankherbagewouldofcoursestopthefireuponitsarrivalfromtheslopinghill-face。Aboutfortyyardsfrommethegrasswashighanddry。

Abouthalfanhourafterthegunswerepostedweheardthewhistles，andshortlyafter，thesmokeroseinvariousplacesuntilatlastacrescentoffirespreadoverthehill。Thewindwasverylight，thereforethefiretravelledslowly，andthegameadvancedataneasypace。Inowheardshotsuponmyleftattheextremeflank，whereIhadpostedafewofthebestshotsofthe”FortyThieves，”includingFerritchAjoke。

Isawthegamebreakingcovertinherdsofseveralhundredsinthatdirection。PresentlyAbd-el-Kaderhadashotuponmyright，andI

observedseveralantelopesboundingalongupontheclearspaceinourrear。

Iwasnotinluck，butInowsawasplendidbuckleucotiswalkingquietlythroughthegrass，andslowlydescendingtheslopetothegreenhollow，whichwouldbringhimstraighttowardsmeshouldhekeepthisdirection。

JustatthatmomentIsawalongyellowtailrisesuddenlyfromthegreenhollow，andaninstantlaterIsawafinelion，withtailerect，thathadevidentlybeendisturbedbytheadvancingfire。

Thelionwasdownwindofthebuckleucotis，whichwasnowclosetotheunseenenemy，andwasjustdescendingthebankwhichdippedintothegreenhollow：thiswouldbringtheantelopealmostuponthelion’sback。

Thetwoanimalssuddenlyappearedtotoucheachotherastheleucotisjumpeddownthebank，andthelionsprangtooneside，apparentlyasmuchstartledastheantelope，whichboundedoffinanotherdirection，。

Thelionnowdisappearedinthehighgrass，withtheheadtowardsmypo

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