366 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



verse order. Then the whole herd may gallop in a curve, 

 strung out in line or in a mass, some of the individuals 

 going through queer gymnastics, kicking and flourishing 

 their long tails; or a bull will almost stand on its head to 

 toss up the dust with its horns; or two bulls may relieve 

 their feelings by dropping on their knees for a moment's 

 furious fight, clouds of dust floating above them as they thus 

 curve and zigzag. Finally they conclude to leave the neigh- 

 borhood; then they stop their ferocious and whimsical ca- 

 pering, and, their heads down, away they tear with beauti- 

 ful, strong action. 



They are very wary, and keep well out of rifle range, but 

 they are also very curious and hang about, just out of shot, 

 watching the hunter. In the same fashion they watch the 

 lion, going fairly close to him, as they evidently feel confi- 

 dent that he cannot catch them unless so close that they 

 cannot get under way before he is on them. Once we 

 came across an old bull wildebeest watching a lion and 

 lioness from a distance of about sixty yards; it was in the 

 afternoon, and the lions obviously desired the bull for 

 supper; but, although very much on the alert, he was not 

 in the least disturbed by their proximity, and evidently 

 knew as well as they did that at that distance they could 

 not hope to catch him. Some observers have suggested 

 that the game know when the lion is hungry and do not 

 fear him except at such moments, and that this accounts 

 for the small heed they pay to him if they see him on the 

 plains in the daytime. We doubt this theory. Our im- 

 pression is that they are altogether too accustomed to the 

 lion to get panic-struck about him unless he rushes at them 

 from ambush. They know that they can outrun him, and 



