52 SOLDIER AND SPORTSMAN 



I believe that all men who work the brain to 

 excess require artificial stimulants. Some require 

 alcohol in some form, others narcotics. The fact 

 remains that very brilliant men have short lives. 

 Without artificial assistance, they would probably 

 not achieve brilliancy. 



Lord Randolph was quite the most brilliant man 

 of his time. It is, however, interesting to record 

 that his first attempt to pass the entrance examina- 

 tion into Oxford was a failure. Other grreat men, 

 notably the Duke of Wellington and Lord Rosebery, 

 have shown that early failure in scholastic affairs is 

 by no means an indication that their future will be 

 undistinguished. 



Lord Randolph spent two or three days at 

 Gaberones, and amongst other interesting incidents 

 of his expedition to Mashonaland he recounted 

 various adventures with lions. Very few men who 

 go on sporting expeditions to South Africa have 

 the luck to see lions, even though they be in a lion- 

 infested district. I believe it is Mr F. Selous who 

 says that he was two years in the country before 

 seeing one, and his object was to find and shoot 

 game of any sort ; but extraordinary luck befell 

 Lord Randolph in this respect. He describes how 

 he, in company with Mr Hans Lee, one of the 

 expert hunters of that time, came on a group of 

 lions, eight to ten in number. Confronted with 



