"Glory enough for one day," I remarked to myself—"a call upon those two charming women, and two buffaloes added to my credit. I don't know that I care for any more game just at present."
While I was meditating upon the events of the morning and also considering our menu for lunch, suddenly, on passing a ridge, I sighted a herd of elands.
I brought my horse to a stop instantly, and with my head just above the ridge surveyed the herd, which luckily had not seen me. By going back a little and then moving along parallel to the ridge I could come upon the herd almost within shooting-distance, and that is exactly what I did. The herd was feeding in a valley between two ridges, and before they were fairly aware of it I was upon them. I singled out the finest of the animals, which was also one of the nearest, and in less than fifteen minutes from the time I first sighted the herd the creature was lying dead at my feet. Had I followed them up it is quite likely I might have bagged another, but I repeated to myself my previous assertion—"Glory enough for one day." After marking the spot where the eland lay by tying a piece of rag (torn from my shirt) to the nearest thorn-bush, I again resumed my journey toward camp, and this time I reached it.
It was two or three hours after I got to camp before my friends returned. They had had good luck, both on foot and on horseback, Harry having killed three buffaloes and Jack two. They had a run after elands. I could not tell from their description whether it was the herd from which I had made a selection or not, but they were not as fortunate as I, not getting near enough for a shot. Altogether we made a very good day's sport, and when our closing meal of the day was ready we partook of it with a hearty relish. The old adage says that hunger is the best sauce, and we were hungry enough to have eaten a slice out of a lion.
And this reminds me that a lion is not such bad eating after all. One naturally has a prejudice against it, as the lion belongs to the feline race, and outside of China cats are not popular as food-material. I tried lion one day, principally for the reason that there was nothing else to eat and I had just shot one of the so-called "kings of beasts." It tasted somewhat like veal, but was tougher, and also had a cattish flavor to it. I had some steaks cut from the lion and broiled over the coals, and the next morning had a stew made from the lion's flesh. The conclusion I reached was that stewed lion is better than broiled lion, as the stewing rids the flesh of the feline bouquet. If any reader of this story should have occasion to dine upon the flesh of this animal I recommend that he have it stewed or boiled, and well boiled too.
Harry and Jack were delighted when I told them of the visit that was promised to us. They immediately began making plans for the luncheon, and to put the camp in order for our fair callers. Harry ran over the inventory of his clothes and finally decided that he would don his best hunting-suit, inasmuch as he had no other except his every-day one, which was very much dilapidated. The best one was not a great deal better than the worst. As for white shirts and collars, there was nothing of the kind in our outfit; neither was there a tall hat among the three of us.
Jack's outfit and mine were very much the same as Harry's, so that there was nothing to boast of. We had our best suits carefully and severely dusted, and fished out some checked hunting-shirts which had not yet been worn.
"We're ahead of any other African hunters, I believe," said Jack, as the garments were unfolded. "I don't believe there's one in fifty that can show a clean shirt after he's been out a month from civilization."
"And a good many of them," said Harry, "can't show any shirt at all, when you come to that. We're mighty lucky to have such a splendid wardrobe. Wouldn't be a bad idea to start a clothing-store, even with our limited stock."
The question of dress being settled, there arose the momentous one of the menu for luncheon. Jack said that we would paralyze them on that, and he would apply the stroke of paralysis.