the land of footprints-第22章

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e　determines　absolutely　that　the　lion　is　not　within　that　distance。　The　rest　is　alertness　and　quickness。

As　I　have　said；　the　amount　of　cover　necessary　to　conceal　a　lion　is　astonishingly　small。　He　can　flatten　himself　out　surprisingly；　and　his　tawny　colour　blends　so　well　with　the　brown　grasses　that　he　is　practically　invisible。　A　practised　man　does　not；　of　course；　look　for　lions　at　all。　He　is　after　unusual　small　patches；　especially　the　black　ear　tips　or　the　black　of　the　mane。　Once　guessed　at；　it　is　interesting　to　see　how　quickly　the　hitherto　unsuspected　animal　sketches　itself　out　in　the　cover。

I　should；　before　passing　on　to　another　aspect　of　the　matter；　mention　the　dangerous　poisons　carried　by　the　lion's　claws。　Often　men　have　died　from　the　most　trivial　surface　wounds。　The　grooves　of　the　claws　carry　putrefying　meat　from　the　kills。　Every　sensible　man　in　a　lion　country　carries　a　small　syringe；　and　either　permanganate　or　carbolic。　And　those　mild　little　remedies　he　uses　full　strength！

The　great　and　overwhelming　advantage　is　of　course　with　the　hunter。　He　possesses　as　deadly　a　weapon：　and　that　weapon　will　kill　at　a　distance。　This　is　proper；　I　think。　There　are　more　lions　than　hunters；　and；　from　our　point　of　view；　the　man　is　more　important　than　the　beast。　The　game　is　not　too　hazardous。　By　that　I　mean　that；　barring　sheer　accident；　a　man　is　sure　to　come　out　all　right　provided　he　does　accurately　the　right　thing。　In　other　words；　it　is　a　dangerous　game　of　skill；　but　it　does　not　possess　the　blind　danger　of　a　forest　in　a　hurricane；　say。　Furthermore；　it　is　a　game　that　no　man　need　play　unless　he　wants　to。　In　the　lion　country　he　may　go　about　his　business…daytime　business…as　though　he　were　home　at　the　farm。

Such　being　the　case；　may　I　be　pardoned　for　intruding　one　of　my　own　small　ethical　ideas　at　this　point；　with　the　full　realization　that　it　depends　upon　an　entirely　personal　point　of　view。　As　far　as　my　own　case　goes；　I　consider　it　poor　sportsmanship　ever　to　refuse　a　lion…chance　merely　because　the　advantages　are　not　all　in　my　favour。　After　all；　lion　hunting　is　on　a　different　plane　from　ordinary　shooting：　it　is　a　challenge　to　war；　a　deliberate　seeking　for　mortal　combat。　Is　it　not　just　a　little　shameful　to　pot　old　felis　leo　at　long　range；　in　the　open；　near　his　kill；　and　wherever　we　have　him　at　an　advantage…nine　times；　and　then　to　back　out　because　that　advantage　is　for　once　not　so　marked？　I　have　so　often　heard　the　phrase；　〃I　let　him　（or　them）　alone。　It　was　not　good　enough；〃　meaning　that　the　game　looked　a　little　risky。

Do　not　misunderstand。　I　am　not　advising　that　you　bull　ahead　into　the　long　grass；　or　that　alone　you　open　fire　on　a　half　dozen　lions　in　easy　range。　Kind　providence　endowed　you　with　strategy；　and　certainly　you　should　never　go　in　where　there　is　no　show　for　you　to　use　your　weapon　effectively。　But　occasionally　the　odds　will　be　against　you　and　you　will　be　called　upon　to　take　more　or　less　of　a　chance。　I　do　not　think　it　is　quite　square　to　quit　playing　merely　because　for　once　your　opponent　has　been　dealt　the　better　cards。　If　here　are　too　many　of　them　see　if　you　cannot　manoeuvre　them；　if　the　grass　is　long；　try　every　means　in　your　power　to　get　them　out。　Stay　with　them。　If　finally　you　fail；　you　will　at　least　have　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　circumstances　alone　have　defeated　you。　If　you　do　not　like　that　sort　of　a　game；　stay　out　of　it　entirely。



XII。　MORE　LIONS

Nor　do　the　last　remarks　of　the　preceding　chapter　mean　that　you　shall　not　have　your　trophy　in　peace。　Perhaps　excitement　and　a　slight　doubt　as　to　whether　or　not　you　are　going　to　survive　do　not　appeal　to　you；　but　nevertheless　you　would　like　a　lion　skin　or　so。　By　all　means　shoot　one　lion；　or　two；　or　three　in　the　safest　fashion　you　can。　But　after　that　you　ought　to　play　the　game。

The　surest　way　to　get　a　lion　is　to　kill　a　zebra；　cut　holes　in　him；　fill　the　holes　with　strychnine；　and　come　back　next　morning。　This　method　is　absolutely　safe。

The　next　safest　way　is　to　follow　the　quarry　with　a　pack　of　especially　trained　dogs。　The　lion　is　so　busy　and　nervous　over　those　dogs　that　you　can　walk　up　and　shoot　him　in　the　ear。　This　method　has　the　excitement　of　riding　and　following；　the　joy　of　a　grand　and　noisy　row；　and　the　fun　of　seeing　a　good　dog…fight。　The　same　effect　can　be　got　chasing　wart…hogs；　hyenas；　jackals…or　jack…rabbits。　The　objection　is　that　it　wastes　a　noble　beast　in　an　inferior　game。　My　personal　opinion　is　that　no　man　is　justified　in　following　with　dogs　any　large　animal　that　can　be　captured　with　reasonable　certainty　without　them。　The　sport　of　coursing　is　another　matter；　but　that　is　quite　the　same　in　essence　whatever　the　size　of　the　quarry。　If　you　want　to　kill　a　lion　or　so　quite　safely；　and　at　the　same　time　enjoy　a　glorious　and　exciting　gallop　with　lots　of　accompanying　row；　by　all　means　follow　the　sport　with　hounds。　But　having　killed　one　or　two　by　that　method；　quit。　Do　not　go　on　and　clean　up　the　country。　You　can　do　it。　Poison　and　hounds　are　the　SURE　methods　of　finding　any　lion　there　may　be　about；　and　AFTER　THE　FIRST　FEW；　one　is　about　as　justifiable　as　the　other。　If　you　want　the　undoubtedly　great　joy　of　cross　country　pursuit；　send　your　hounds　in　after　less　noble　game。

The　third　safe　method　of　killing　a　lion　is　nocturnal。　You　lay　out　a　kill　beneath　a　tree；　and　climb　the　tree。　Or　better；　you　hitch　out　a　pig　or　donkey　as　live　bait。　When　the　lion　comes　to　this　free　lunch；　you　try　to　see　him；　and；　if　you　succeed　in　that；　you　try　to　shoot　him。　It　is　not　easy　to　shoot　at　night；　nor　is　it　easy　to　see　in　the　dark。　Furthermore；　lions　only　occasionally　bother　to　come　to　bait。　You　may　roost　up　that　tree　many　nights　before　you　get　a　chance。　Once　up；　you　have　to　stay　up；　for　it　is　most　decidedly　not　safe　to　go　home　after　dark。　The　tropical　night　in　the　highlands　is　quite　chilly。　Branches　seem　to　be　quite　as　cramping　and　abrasive　under　the　equator　as　in　the　temperate　zones。　Still；　it　is　one　method。

Another　is　to　lay　out　a　kill　and　visit　it　in　the　early　morning。　There　is　more　to　this；　for　you　are　afoot；　must　generally　search　out　your　beast　in　nearby　cover；　and　can　easily　find　any　amount　of　excitement　in　the　process。

The　fourth　way　is　to　ride　the　lion。　The　hunter　sees　his　quarry　returning　home　across　the　plains；　perhaps；　or　jumps　it　from　some　small　bushy　ravine。　At　once　he　spurs　his　horse　in　pursuit。　The　lion　will　run　but　a　short　distance　before　coming　to　a　stop；　for　he　is　not　particularly　long　either　of　wind　or　of　patience。　From　this　stand　he　almost　invariably　charges。　The　astute　hunter；　still　mounted；　turns　and　flees。　When　the　lion　gets　tired　of　chasing；　which　he　does　in　a　very　short　time；　the　hunter　faces　about。　At　last　the　lion　sits　down　in　the　grass；　waiting　for　the　game　to　develop。　This　is　the　time　for　the　hunter　to　dismount　and　to　take　his　shot。　Quite　likely　he　must　now　stand　a　charge　afoot；　and　drop　his　beast　before　it　gets　to　him。

This　is　real　fun。　It　has　many　elements　of　safety；　and　many　of　danger。

To　begin　with；　the　hunter　at　this　game　generally　has　companions　to　back　him：　often　he　employs　mounted　Somalis　to　round　the　lion　up　and　get　it　to　stand。　The　charging　lion　is　quite　apt　to　make　for　the　conspicuous　mounted　men…who　can　easily　escape…ignoring　the　hunter　afoot。　As　the　game　is　largely　played　in　the　open；　the　movements　of　the　beast　are　easily　followed。

On　the　other　hand；　there　is　room　for　mistake。　The　hunter；　for　example；　should　never　follow　directly　in　the　rear　of　his　lion；　but　rather　at　a　parallel　course　off　the　beast's　flank。　Then；　if　the　lion　stops　suddenly；　the　man　does　not　overrun　before　he　can　check　his　mount。　He　should　never　dismount　nearer　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　from　the　embayed　animal；　and　should　never　try　to　get　off　while　the　lion　is　moving　in　his　direction。　Then；　too；　a　hard　gallop　is　not　conducive　to　the　best　of　shooting。　It　is　difficult　to　hold　the　front　bead　steady；　and　it　is　still　more　difficult　to　remember　to　wait；　once　the　lion　charges；　until　he　has　come　near　enough　for　a　sure　shot。　A　neglect　in　the　inevitable　excitement　of　the　moment　to　remember　these　and　a　dozen　other　small　matters　may　quite　possibly　cause　trouble。

Two　or　three　men　together　can　make　this　one　of　the　most　exciting　mounted　games　on　earth；　with　enough　of　the　give　and　take　of　r