THE LIONS AND THE ELANDS.
It seemed to me that the air was getting rather thick with lions, and it would be well for us to dispose of what we had before any more arrived. The new-comer joined the lion which I had selected for my game, and therefore I had a double task before me. I waved my hands to Harry, trying to indicate that under the circumstances I had better fire first. He understood me, and withheld his shot until I had disposed of one of my beasts.
The animal gave me a good chance to do so, as he fell to quarreling with the possessor of the prize. I killed one of the lions at the first shot; the second one I wounded badly, and it took no fewer than three shots to finish him. By good luck I had my Winchester along, and poured the lead in with great rapidity. Harry was also carrying his Winchester, which he fired three times before silencing and quieting his Hon. There was no need of wasting any ammunition on the elands, as they were already dead from the work of the lions. When this was completed we came out into the open and surveyed our game.
"Pretty good business," said Harry, "just for an afternoon walk."
I agreed with him that it was pretty good business, and now the question arose with Harry as to what we should do about it.
"Oh, that's very simple," I answered: "send one of the trackers to the wagon, and get all the men we can to skin the lions and cut up and carry home the elands. We'll have rather an abundance of meat in camp now, but there won't be any of it wasted. What with dogs, Kafirs, and ourselves, we can get away with a goodly amount."
"But won't Jack be jealous of us," remarked Harry, "when he finds what we've done in our little detour while going home from the river!"
"Oh, I don't think he will be jealous exactly," I answered; "he will be sorry he wasn't along, and I'm sorry he wasn't. I don't know that we could have got any more game if he'd been with us, but he might have had the satisfaction, at any rate, of shooting one of the lions."
We waited on the spot until the men came to take charge of our prizes; then we proceeded to camp, where we found Jack, who had already heard the story of our success. He congratulated us heartily, and, as I knew he would, wished he had been along.