182 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



mal of such high and varied development as a lion, to try to 

 lay down invariable rules. Speaking generally, lions are bold 

 and dangerous to men at night, and exactly in proportion to 

 the darkness of the night; on black and stormy nights a lion's 

 daring is sometimes almost incredible. Even where there 

 are no confirmed man-eaters a solitary man is never safe 

 after nightfall if walking through a country where lions are 

 numerous; if one is encountered it will probably get out of 

 the way, but there is always the chance that it will attack. 

 For instance, in photographing lions with the flash-light at 

 night, there is always danger in going out to reset the flash- 

 light; if a lion is in the immediate neighborhood, it is always 

 possible that it may charge. Mr. Coolidge, of Boston, is 

 one among several men we have known who have had such 

 experiences. In daytime there is usually no danger whatever 

 in meeting unwounded and unharassed lions, unless they are 

 actually stumbled on in thick cover; they may growl or 

 stand and stare ominously, but if unmolested they will 

 almost always retire. But two of the friends we met in 

 Africa, Mr. Percival, the game ranger, and Mr. Harold Hill, 

 have had uncomfortable times with lions which they met in 

 broad day. Mr. Percival was riding through some fairly tall 

 grass when a lion charged him and soon overtook the gallop- 

 ing, frightened horse; Percival leaned over and yelled in the 

 lion's face ; thereupon it drew up, but again came on ; the horse 

 was now at full speed, and reached the open plain of short 

 grass ahead of the lion, which then halted. Probably this 

 lion at first mistook the horse for a zebra, and it halted when 

 it discovered it was pursuing a man; yet it again came on, 

 and would probably have overthrown both horse and rider 

 if the stretch of tall grass had not come to an end. Mr. Hill, 



