NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



many authors, poets, and bards make him out to be. 

 He fiercely attacks and slays other animals weaker 

 than himself, or who possess weapons of offence or 

 defence of a very inferior order to his. 



Unless badgered, cornered, wounded, or incau- 

 tiously followed into his lair, he will never attack 

 a man unless, as previously stated, he is pressed and 

 beset by hunger, and then he will craftily watch his 

 opportunity to pounce upon those whom he thinks 

 are the most defenceless. The hunter, trader, and 

 traveller in the wilder parts of the " Dark Conti- 

 nent " are dreadfully pestered by the lion's fond- 

 ness for bullock, horse, and donkey meat. Gordon 

 Cumming tells a harrowing tale of a hungry lion that 

 prowled around his camp one night, roaring in 

 marrow-freezing manner, intent upon getting at his 

 oxen. One of his Hottentot drivers got up from the 

 fireside to incite the dogs to rush out and scare the 

 " King of the Forest," and to cast a few firebrands 

 in his direction, as lions usually have a great dread of 

 fire. The Hottentot, immediately upon lying down 

 again by the fireside, was pounced upon by a huge 

 shaggy-maned lion which rushed out from the inky 

 darkness, seized him by the back of the neck, and in 

 spite of being belaboured by the victim's comrade 

 with a firebrand, the lion carried his quarry away 

 into the bush. For some hours Cumming and his 

 men sat listening to the cracking and crunching of 

 the Hottentot's bones, accompanied by the lion's 

 occasional growls of satisfaction. The night being 



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