122 Wild Beasts 



instant it had reached the man, while, although I could tell 

 by the shouting that they were still stabbing it, it was 

 probably only a dead body on which they were wreaking 

 their vengeance. Be that as it might, it was nearly 

 half an hour before I could find an opening that led to the 

 lion's carcass, and I do not think there was one solitary 

 individual among all who were out that day who had not 

 gratified himself by driving his spear into it ; at any rate, 

 its skin was a perfect sieve, and had at least five or six 

 hundred holes in it. The price at which the victory was 

 gained was comparatively small, only one man having re- 

 ceived a fatal wound ; while the one upon whom the lion had 

 sprung escaped with some severe gashes and a broken arm." 

 Those italics inserted in this narrative were not placed 

 there by Drummond, but by the writer. They are in- 

 tended to mark a propensity which he shared with many 

 others to accuse the lion of cowardice while in the act of 

 relating his deeds of desperation. This one it appears was 

 "cowardly" because, with a shattered shoulder and other 

 severe wounds, he did not at once attack a hundred armed 

 men drawn up to receive him. Again and again had he 

 penetrated into the midst of a populous village, and torn 

 people out of their houses. All the same, he paused dur- 

 ing the fight described, and was a poltroon. It is true 

 that after walking up and down before his enemies like 

 a lion of the Atlas as described by Gerard, he finally 

 charged home and fought until cut to pieces. Still he was 

 "cowardly." This is perplexing; there must be some 

 standard by which courage is judged of in the case of lions 

 that ordinary people know nothing about. 



