Lions seemed to be numerous in that district.

Two days before I had killed two lions near by, and during the morning Stephenson and I had each killed a lioness in the same line of marshy reed beds.

We now intended advancing to the next large swamp of the chain and see whether a large, black-maned lion might not be routed out.
Conditions seemed propitious, for in this selfsame swamp Colonel Roosevelt had seen the best lion of his trip some weeks before.

Perhaps the lion might still be there.
The campaign was planned with great thoroughness.

Forty or fifty porters were formed into the customary skirmish line and on each side we paralleled the beaters with our rifles.