MY SOMALI BOOK 247 



antelope, and he is credited with having less courage 

 than any beast you choose to name ; while the im- 

 provement in modern fire-arms is supposed to render 

 the sportsman invincible. 



This is all very fine, and as an expression of opinion, 

 based as a rule on no great experience, is in itself of 

 little importance. Unfortunately it is likely to do 

 harm by giving the novice a totally untrue impression 

 both of the character of the lion and of the difficulties 

 of shooting him, and may directly lead to disaster. 



The truth is that the lion is not extremely tenacious 

 of life, and is easily killed by a bullet placed well 

 forward ; that like all wild animals he has learnt to 

 respect and fear the superior powers of man (this fear 

 being due to education not to instinct) ; that indi- 

 viduals, among lions as among men, vary in character, 

 some being less courageous or aggressive than others — 

 a fact which many fail to recognise. But if the first 

 bullet does not inflict a fatal wound, the situation 

 changes ; a wounded lion being less easy to kill and 

 far more dangerous than an unwounded one : though 

 it is a great mistake to suppose that an unwounded 

 lion, if enraged or at bay, will never attack. 



And apart from the surroundings and the tactics 

 adopted by the lion, both of which may render accurate 

 shooting difficult, to say nothing of possible un- 

 steadiness after tramping all day, or after galloping 

 or running in a blazing sun, the boasted improvement 

 in the modern rifle is in itself a danger to some who, 

 judging of a rifle by its ability to perforate a steel 

 plate, proceed to tackle a lion, which happens to be 

 made of very different material, with a weapon totally 



