98 THE LION. 



wise little inclined to any closer acquaintance, he 

 turned off at right angles, laid the sjambok freely to 

 his horse's flank, and gallopped for life. But it was 

 too late. The horse was fagged, and bore a heavy 

 man on his back. The lion was fresh, and furious 

 with hunger, and came down upon him like a thunder- 

 bolt. In a few seconds he overtook, and, springing 

 up behind Lucas, brought horse and man in an in- 

 stant to the ground. Luckily the poor boor was un- 

 hurt ; and the lion was too eager in worrying the 

 horse to pay any immediate attention to the rider. 

 Hardly knowing how he escaped, he contrived to 

 scramble out of the fray, and reached the nearest 

 house in safety." 



A perusal of Park's Second Journey to the Niger 

 will also afford many proofs of their indifference to 

 the human race as their prey. During the last part 

 of that unfortunate expedition, lions hung upon the 

 route continually ; but the asses of burden were 

 what was sought after. Two-thirds of the soldiers 

 and followers were so ill as to be unable to keep up 

 with what was called the main body ; many of them 

 constantly lying down to die, and actually perishing, 

 and the whole troop was so weak as to be an easy 

 prey to animals of the kind. Not an individual was 

 lost by them, though the havoc among the asses was 

 considerable. Once only a hostile display was made, 

 by three lions, on Park himself, when attending up- 

 on his dying friend Mr Scott, and a single shot was 

 sufficient to drive them completely off. 



