the land of footprints-第20章

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。　When　he　follows　them；　they　sneak　cunningly　away。　If；　added　to　this；　he　has　the　good　luck　to　kill　one　or　two　stone　dead　at　a　single　shot　each；　he　begins　to　think　there　is　not　much　in　lion　shooting　after　all；　and　goes　home　proclaiming　the　king　of　beasts　a　skulking　coward。

After　all；　on　what　grounds　does　he　base　this　conclusion？　In　what　way　have　circumstances　been　a　test　of　courage　at　all？　The　lion　did　not　stand　and　fight；　to　be　sure；　but　why　should　he？　What　was　there　in　it　for　lions？　Behind　any　action　must　a　motive　exist。　Where　is　the　possible　motive　for　any　lion　to　attack　on　sight？　He　does　not…except　in　unusual　cases…eat　men；　nothing　has　occurred　to　make　him　angry。　The　obvious　thing　is　to　avoid　trouble；　unless　there　is　a　good　reason　to　seek　it。　In　that　one　evidences　the　lion's　good　sense；　but　not　his　lack　of　courage。　That　quality　has　not　been　called　upon　at　all。

But　if　the　sportsman　had　done　one　of　two　or　three　things；　I　am　quite　sure　he　would　have　had　a　taste　of　our　friend's　mettle。　If　he　had　shot　at　and　even　grazed　the　beast；　if　he　had　happened　upon　him　where　an　exit　was　not　obvious；　or　IF　HE　HAD　EVEN　FOLLOWED　THE　LION　UNTIL　THE　LATTER　HAD　BECOME　TIRED　OF　THE　ANNOYANCE；　he　would　very　soon　have　discovered　that　Leo　is　not　all　good　nature；　and　that　once　on　his　courage　will　take　him　in　against　any　odds。　Furthermore；　he　may　be　astonished　and　dismayed　to　discover　that　of　a　group　of　several　lions；　two　or　three　besides　the　wounded　animal　are　quite　likely　to　take　up　the　quarrel　and　charge　too。　In　other　words；　in　my　opinion；　the　lion　avoids　trouble　when　he　can；　not　from　cowardice　but　from　essential　indolence　or　good　nature；　but　does　not　need　to　be　cornered*　to　fight　to　the　death　when　in　his　mind　his　dignity　is　sufficiently　assailed。

*This　is　an　important　distinction　in　estimating　the　inherent　courage　of　man　or　beast。　Even　a　mouse　will　fight　when　cornered。


For　of　all　dangerous　beasts　the　lion；　when　once　aroused；　will　alone　face　odds　to　the　end。　The　rhinoceros；　the　elephant；　and　even　the　buffalo　can　often　be　turned　aside　by　a　shot。　A　lion　almost　always　charges　home。*　Slower　and　slower　he　comes；　as　the　bullets　strike；　but　he　comes；　until　at　last　he　may　be　just　hitching　himself　along；　his　face　to　the　enemy；　his　fierce　spirit　undaunted。　When　finally　he　rolls　over；　he　bites　the　earth　in　great　mouthfuls；　and　so　passes　fighting　to　the　last。　The　death　of　a　lion　is　a　fine　sight。

*I　seem　to　be　generalizing　here；　but　all　these　conclusions　must　be　understood　to　take　into　consideration　the　liability　of　individual　variation。


No；　I　must　confess；　to　me　the　lion　is　an　object　of　great　respect；　and　so；　I　gather；　he　is　to　all　who　have　had　really　extensive　experience。　Those　like　Leslie　Tarleton；　Lord　Delamere；　W。　N。　MacMillan；　Baron　von　Bronsart；　the　Hills；　Sir　Alfred　Pease；　who　are　great　lion　men；　all　concede　to　the　lion　a　courage　and　tenacity　unequalled　by　any　other　living　beast。　My　own　experience　is　of　course　nothing　as　compared　to　that　of　these　men。　Yet　I　saw　in　my　nine　months　afield　seventy…one　lions。　None　of　these　offered　to　attack　when　unwounded　or　not　annoyed。　On　the　other　hand；　only　one　turned　tail　once　the　battle　was　on；　and　she　proved　to　be　a　three　quarters　grown　lioness；　sick　and　out　of　condition。

It　is　of　course　indubitable　that　where　lions　have　been　much　shot　they　become　warier　in　the　matter　of　keeping　out　of　trouble。　They　retire　to　cover　earlier　in　the　morning；　and　they　keep　more　than　a　perfunctory　outlook　for　the　casual　human　being。　When　hunters　first　began　to　go　into　the　Sotik　the　lions　there　would　stand　imperturbable；　staring　at　the　intruder　with　curiosity　or　indifference。　Now　they　have　learned　that　such　performances　are　not　healthy…and　they　have　probably　satisfied　their　curiosity。　But　neither　in　the　Sotik；　nor　even　in　the　plains　around　Nairobi　itself；　does　the　lion　refuse　the　challenge　once　it　has　been　put　up　to　him　squarely。　Nor　does　he　need　to　be　cornered。　He　charges　in　quite　blithely　from　the　open　plain；　once　convinced　that　you　are　really　an　annoyance。

As　to　habits！　The　only　sure　thing　about　a　lion　is　his　originality。　He　has　more　exceptions　to　his　rules　than　the　German　language。　Men　who　have　been　mighty　lion　hunters　for　many　years；　and　who　have　brought　to　their　hunting　close　observation；　can　only　tell　you　what　a　lion　MAY　do　in　certain　circumstances。　Following　very　broad　principles；　they　may　even　predict　what　he　is　APT　to　do；　but　never　what　he　certainly　WILL　do。　That　is　one　thing　that　makes　lion　hunting　interesting。

In　general；　then；　the　lion　frequents　that　part　of　the　country　where　feed　the　great　game　herds。　From　them　he　takes　his　toll　by　night；　retiring　during　the　day　into　the　shallow　ravines；　the　brush　patches；　or　the　rocky　little　buttes。　I　have；　however；　seen　lions　miles　from　game；　slumbering　peacefully　atop　an　ant　hill。　Indeed；　occasionally；　a　pack　of　lions　likes　to　live　high　in　the　tall…grass　ridges　where　every　hunt　will　mean　for　them　a　four…　or　five…mile　jaunt　out　and　back　again。　He　needs　water；　after　feeding；　and　so　rarely　gets　farther　than　eight　or　ten　miles　from　that　necessity。

He　hunts　at　night。　This　is　as　nearly　invariable　a　rule　as　can　be　formulated　in　regard　to　lions。　Yet　once；　and　perhaps　twice；　I　saw　lionesses　stalking　through　tall　grass　as　early　as　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　This　eagerness　may；　or　may　not；　have　had　to　do　with　the　possession　of　hungry　cubs。　The　lion's　customary　harmlessness　in　the　daytime　is　best　evidenced；　however；　by　the　comparative　indifference　of　the　game　to　his　presence　then。　From　a　hill　we　watched　three　of　these　beasts　wandering　leisurely　across　the　plains　below。　A　herd　of　kongonis　feeding　directly　in　their　path；　merely　moved　aside　right　and　left；　quite　deliberately；　to　leave　a　passage　fifty　yards　or　so　wide；　but　otherwise　paid　not　the　slightest　attention。　I　have　several　times　seen　this　incident；　or　a　modification　of　it。　And　yet；　conversely；　on　a　number　of　occasions　we　have　received　our　first　intimation　of　the　presence　of　lions　by　the　wild　stampeding　of　the　game　away　from　a　certain　spot。

However；　the　most　of　his　hunting　is　done　by　dark。　Between　the　hours　of　sundown　and　nine　o'clock　he　and　his　comrades　may　be　heard　uttering　the　deep　coughing　grunt　typical　of　this　time　of　night。　These　curious；　short；　far…sounding　calls　may　be　mere　evidences　of　intention；　or　they　may　be　a　sort　of　signal　by　means　of　which　the　various　hunters　keep　in　touch。　After　a　little　they　cease。　Then　one　is　quite　likely　to　hear　the　petulant；　alarmed　barking　of　zebra；　or　to　feel　the　vibrations　of　many　hoofs。　There　is　a　sense　of　hurried；　flurried　uneasiness　abroad　on　the　veldt。

The　lion　generally　springs　on　his　prey　from　behind　or　a　little　off　the　quarter。　By　the　impetus　his　own　weight　he　hurls　his　victim　forward；　doubling　its　head　under；　and　very　neatly　breaking　its　neck。　I　have　never　seen　this　done；　but　the　process　has　been　well　observed　and　attested；　and　certainly；　of　the　many　hundreds　of　lion　kills　I　have　taken　the　pains　to　inspect；　the　majority　had　had　their　necks　broken。　Sometimes；　but　apparently　more　rarely；　the　lion　kills　its　prey　by　a　bite　in　the　back　of　the　neck。　I　have　seen　zebra　killed　in　this　fashion；　but　never　any　of　the　buck。　It　may　be　possible　that　the　lack　of　horns　makes　it　more　difficult　to　break　a　zebra's　neck　because　of　the　corresponding　lack　of　leverage　when　its　head　hits　the　ground　sidewise；　the　instances　I　have　noted　may　have　been　those　in　which　the　lion's　spring　landed　too　far　back　to　throw　the　victim　properly；　or　perhaps　they　were　merely　examples　of　the　great　variability　in　the　habits　of　felis　leo。

Once　the　kill　is　made；　the　lion　disembowels　the　beast　very　neatly　indeed；　and　drags　the　entrails　a　few　feet　out　of　the　way。　He　then　eats　what　he　wants；　and；　curiously　enough；　seems　often　to　be　very　fond　of　the　skin。　In　fact；　lacking　other　evidence；　it　is　occasionally　possible　to　identify　a　kill　as　being　that　of　a　lion　by　noticing　whether　any　considerable　portion　of　the　hide　has　been　devoured。　After　eating　he　drinks。　Then　he　is　likely　to　do　one　of　two　things：　either　he　returns　to　cover　near　the　carcass　and　lies　down；　or　he　wanders　slowly　and　with　satisfaction　toward　his　happy　home。　In　the　latter　case　the　hyenas；　jackals；　and　carrion　birds　seize　their　chance。　The　astute　hunte