Part 22 (1/2)
”It will be luck, then, if we find him,” said the hunter
”Bad luck,” rin
”Forward, little friend!” cried Muata ”Search and find It is a great hunt this day We follow the hunter of all things”
They slipped into their clothes and followed at a trot after the jackal, which ran straight on, its bushy tail held low It followed the river down for aback at itsthe hard ground, then they walked on a few yards The saed froed over the land, then were turned skywards Muata pointed a finger at a ringed crow flying with bent head
”They killed,” said Mr Hume
”Oh!! They killed”
”You see,” said the hunter to the two boys, ”the pair crouched here; these circularof the tails They sighted game One of theauess,” said Compton ”Perhaps the lion stopped because of his hurt”
”No; the bleeding has stopped They not only sighted game, but the lioness drove it froht it down”
”Oh, come,” said Compton ”How can you tell that?”
”Fro twice--here, where he alighted the first ti landed hile on into that thicket of reeds There the two of the
He pointed to the right of the reeds, and there was a great yellowish beast walking away at a sloalk, with its head sunk
”The lioness,” said the hunter ”Venning, keep by me, but a little behind Compton, when I whistle, fire into the reeds”
Compton nodded his head, and the tent off, while Muata sat down as a spectator
Mr Hume walked steadily up to within fifty paces of the reeds on the upper side, then whistled Inified his presence by a lol, but he did not ain, and this tiy head appeared, with its yellow eyes fixed on the boy Mr Hureat head turned at once in his direction For a rowl he turned into the reeds to reappear further on, going slowly in the direction of the lioness
”It is your shot, Godfrey; take hi's heart was thuainst his ribs; but he steadied hi forward, snarling, and faced about towards his eneed straight down to within about thirty feet, when he stood for alion if his enee muscles of the flanks and backs could be set ininto his breast, laid him out helpless in the throes of death
”Your first lion, Godfrey”
”But you killed hireat effort; for he had been through a very severe ordeal
”The first hit counts See here, your bullet last night struck hi the bone, and your second shot hit him lon in the ribs”
”My word,” said Co with excitee Yes, and to see how you two stood My heart was in my mouth”
”It's a simple shot,” said the hunter ”All you have to do is to keep perfectly cool and wait for the lion to come to his stand”
”Very easy,” ri claws, finishi+ng off thatin afrom the lion to the hunter ”Ye be brothers,” he said, ”ye two; both great o”
”When I was young,” said Mr Hu since I gave that up, and only when a lion seeks one out to kill hireat one stands alone, for he is th The spotted one kills for the love of killing He will kill, if the chance comes, many times more than he can eat The warrior will slay of his enereat one eats and is satisfied The rest ry I know, for I have met him face to face in the path I say to him, '''Inkose' (chief), the path is yours' I have stood aside, and the 'inkose' has gone on his way in peace'