the land of footprints-第15章

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　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　hunter　can　often　diagnose　the　case　by　the　general　actions　and　demeanour　of　these　camp　followers。　A　half　dozen　sour　and　disgusted　looking　hyenas　seated　on　their　haunches　at　scattered　intervals；　and　treefuls　of　mournfully　humpbacked　vultures　sunk　in　sadness；　indicate　that　the　lion　has　decided　to　save　the　rest　of　his　zebra　until　to…morrow　and　is　not　far　away。　On　the　other　hand；　a　grand　flapping；　snarling　Kilkenny…fair　of　an　aggregation　swirling　about　one　spot　in　the　grass　means　that　the　principal　actor　has　gone　home。

It　is　ordinarily　useless　to　expect　to　see　the　lion　actually　on　his　prey。　The　feeding　is　done　before　dawn；　after　which　the　lion　enjoys　stretching　out　in　the　open　until　the　sun　is　well　up；　and　then　retiring　to　the　nearest　available　cover。　Still；　at　the　risk　of　seeming　to　be　perpetually　qualifying；　I　must　instance　finding　three　lions　actually　on　the　stale　carcass　of　a　waterbuck　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　a　piping　hot　day！　In　an　undisturbed　country；　or　one　not　much　hunted；　the　early　morning　hours　up　to　say　nine　o'clock　are　quite　likely　to　show　you　lions　sauntering　leisurely　across　the　open　plains　toward　their　lairs。　They　go　a　little；　stop　a　little；　yawn；　sit　down　a　while；　and　gradually　work　their　way　home。　At　those　times　you　come　upon　them　unexpectedly　face　to　face；　or；　seeing　them　from　afar；　ride　them　down　in　a　glorious　gallop。　Where　the　country　has　been　much　hunted；　however；　the　lion　learns　to　abandon　his　kill　and　seek　shelter　before　daylight；　and　is　almost　never　seen　abroad。　Then　one　must　depend　on　happening　upon　him　in　his　cover。

In　the　actual　hunting　of　his　game　the　lion　is　apparently　very　clever。　He　understands　the　value　of　cooperation。　Two　or　more　will　manoeuvre　very　skilfully　to　give　a　third　the　chance　to　make　an　effective　spring；　whereupon　the　three　will　share　the　kill。　In　a　rough　country；　or　one　otherwise　favourable　to　the　method；　a　pack　of　lions　will　often　deliberately　drive　game　into　narrow　ravines　or　cul　de　sacs　where　the　killers　are　waiting。

At　such　times　the　man　favoured　by　the　chance　of　an　encampment　within　five　miles　or　so　can　hear　a　lion's　roar。

Otherwise　I　doubt　if　he　is　apt　often　to　get　the　full…voiced；　genuine　article。　The　peculiar　questioning　cough　of　early　evening　is　resonant　and　deep　in　vibration；　but　it　is　a　call　rather　than　a　roar。　No　lion　is　fool　enough　to　make　a　noise　when　he　is　stalking。　Then　afterward；　when　full　fed；　individuals　may　open　up　a　few　times；　but　only　a　few　times；　in　sheer　satisfaction；　apparently；　at　being　well　fed。　The　menagerie　row　at　feeding　time；　formidable　as　it　sounds　within　the　echoing　walls；　is　only　a　mild　and　gentle　hint。　But　when　seven　or　eight　lions　roar　merely　to　see　how　much　noise　they　can　make；　as　when　driving　game；　or　trying　to　stampede　your　oxen　on　a　wagon　trip；　the　effect　is　something　tremendous。　The　very　substance　of　the　ground　vibrates；　the　air　shakes。　I　can　only　compare　it　to　the　effect　of　a　very　large　deep　organ　in　a　very　small　church。　There　is　something　genuinely　awe…inspiring　about　it；　and　when　the　repeated　volleys　rumble　into　silence；　one　can　imagine　the　veldt　crouched　in　a　rigid　terror　that　shall　endure。



XI。　LIONS　AGAIN

As　to　the　dangers　of　lion　hunting　it　is　also　difficult　to　write。　There　is　no　question　that　a　cool　man；　using　good　judgment　as　to　just　what　he　can　or　cannot　do；　should　be　able　to　cope　with　lion　situations。　The　modern　rifle　is　capable　of　stopping　the　beast；　provided　the　bullet　goes　to　the　right　spot。　The　right　spot　is　large　enough　to　be　easy　to　hit；　if　the　shooter　keeps　cool。　Our　definition　of　a　cool　man　must　comprise　the　elements　of　steady　nerves　under　super…excitement；　the　ability　to　think　quickly　and　clearly；　and　the　mildly　strategic　quality　of　being　able　to　make　the　best　use　of　awkward　circumstances。　Such　a　man；　barring　sheer　accidents；　should　be　able　to　hunt　lions　with　absolute　certainty　for　just　as　long　as　he　does　not　get　careless；　slipshod　or　over…confident。　Accidents…real　accidents；　not　merely　unexpected　happenings…are　hardly　to　be　counted。　They　can　occur　in　your　own　house。

But　to　the　man　not　temperamentally　qualified；　lion　shooting　is　dangerous　enough。　The　lion；　when　he　takes　the　offensive；　intends　to　get　his　antagonist。　Having　made　up　his　mind　to　that；　he　charges　home；　generally　at　great　speed。　The　realization　that　it　is　the　man's　life　or　the　beast's　is　disconcerting。　Also　the　charging　lion　is　a　spectacle　much　more　awe…inspiring　in　reality　than　the　most　vivid　imagination　can　predict。　He　looks　very　large；　very　determined；　and　has　uttered　certain　rumbling；　blood…curdling　threats　as　to　what　he　is　going　to　do　about　it。　It　suddenly　seems　most　undesirable　to　allow　that　lion　to　come　any　closer；　not　even　an　inch！　A　hasty；　nervous　shot　misses…

An　unwounded　lion　charging　from　a　distance　is　said　to　start　rather　slowly；　and　to　increase　his　pace　only　as　he　closes。　Personally　I　have　never　been　charged　by　an　unwounded　beast；　but　I　can　testify　that　the　wounded　animal　comes　very　fast。　Cuninghame　puts　the　rate　at　about　seven　seconds　to　the　hundred　yards。　Certainly　I　should　say　that　a　man　charged　from　fifty　yards　or