MY ACQUAINTANCE WITH LIONS 77 
that far, and the zebras weigh nearly twice as much 
as the lions do. 
Another test of a lion’s strength is his ability to 
stand punishment. I have seen a lion charge with 
seven lead bullets from an old .577 Express rifle 
through his shoulder, and only finally succumb to the 
eighth bullet in his head. 
L. J. Tarlton, one of the best shots that has ever 
hunted game in Africa, told me once, when we were 
both recuperating from sickness, that he was going 
to quit shooting lions. What had brought him to this 
conclusion was an experience which he had just had 
with a charging lioness. He had hit her three times 
in the chest. She finally died touching his feet. 
When he examined her, all three bullets were within 
a three-inch radius and every one should have been 
fatal. Yet she had almost reached him despite his 
fast and accurate shooting. 
These instances are exceptions, but often in African 
hunting the exceptions are about as common as the 
rule and one exception may be enough to end the 
story. 
My nearest approach to being mauled by a lion 
came from this same capacity of a lion to carry lead, 
and from my own carelessness. I had seen a lion 
standing some little distance away from me clearly 
in view, and had shot him. The bullet knocked him 
down and, as I thought, hurt him badly. After a 
while he got up and came my way. When about 
forty yards away he gave me another clear shot. 
So without reloading the first barrel of my double- 
