CHAPTER III 

 LION-HUNTING ON THE KAPiri PLAINS 



The dangerous game of Africa are tlie lion, buffalo, 

 elephant, rhinoceros, and leopard. The hunter who 

 follows any of these animals always does so at a certain 

 risk to life or limb — a risk which it is his business to 

 minimize by coolness, caution, good judgment, and 

 straight shooting. The leopard is in point of pluck and 

 ferocity more than the equal of the other four ; but his 

 small si/e always renders it likely that he will merely 

 maul, and not kill, a man. INly friend Carl iVkely, of 

 Chicago, actually killed bare-handed a leopard which 

 sprang on him. He had already woUnded the beast 

 twice, crippling it in one front and one hind paw ; 

 whereupon it charged, followed him as he tried to 

 dodge the charge, and struck him full just as he turned. 

 It bit him in one arm, biting again and again as it 

 worked up the arm from the wrist to the elbow ; but 

 Akely threw it, holding its throat with the other hand, 

 and flinging its body to one side. It luckily fell on its 

 side, with its two wounded legs uppermost, so that it 

 could not tear him. He fell forward with it and 

 crushed in its chest with his knees, until he distinctly felt 

 one of its ribs crack ; this, said Akely, was the first 

 moment when he felt he might conquer. Redoubling 

 his efforts, with knees and hand, he actually choked 



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