oing splendidly, and we knew that we should soon
be within good shooting distance. At two hundred and fifty yards the
largest of the two males, a great, black-maned lion, stopped and turned
toward us. His two companions continued moving away toward the ravine.

Thinking it a good moment to strike, we leaped from the carriage and
knelt to fire. Stephenson shot at the big black-mane and I at the male
that was retreating. Both shots missed. The black-mane resumed his
retreat and we got in a couple more ineffectual shots before the three
lions disappeared over the brow of the ravine.

[Drawing: _At Two Hundred and Fifty Yards_]

Once more in the carriage and another wild gallop as far as the vehicle
would go. For a few moments we lost sight of the lions, but presently we
saw them climbing up the opposite slope, four hundred yards away. It was
a long distance to shoot, but we hoped to bring them to bay at least by
wounding them into a fighting mood. The large lion turned and swung
along the brow of the hill; the others disappeared over the opposite
side, but they soon reappeared some distance farther to the right.

Little spurts of dirt showed where our bullets were striking. Once I
kicked up the ground just under him and once a shot from Stephenson
passed so close to his nose that he ducked his head angrily.

We became frantic with eagerness and continued disappointment. The
thought of losing the finest lion we had seen on the whole trip was
maddening, yet it seemed impossible to hit him.

Then he disappeared and probably rejoined his companions in a retreat
that led down into the ravine where it wound far away from us. There
were patches of reeds in the ravine and it was there that I thought they
would hide.

Sending the carriage in a wide detour, we climbed across a spur of the
ravine and tried to pick up the trail. Once I fell upon the rocks that
lined the steep sides of the gully and cut my hand so deeply that the
scar will always remain as a reminder of that eventful day. Stephenson
kept to the top of the ridge, believing that the lions would continue
across the ravine; I went into the ravine, thinking they would take
cover in the reeds and might be scared out with a shot or two.

But nothing could be seen of them, and after half an hour we rejoined on
the top of the hill, where a wide view of the whole country was
revealed.

We sat down in despair. The greatest chance of the whole trip was gone.

"That's th