The Last of the Plainsmen 



a hardy and intrepid race. If by chance or that 

 cardinal feature of animal life the survival of the 

 fittest a young male lion escapes to the weaning 

 time, even after that he is persecuted. Young male 

 lions have been killed and found to have had their 

 flesh beaten until it was a mass of bruises and un 

 doubtedly it had been the work of an old Tom. 

 Moreover, old males and females have been killed, 

 and found to be in the same bruised condition. A 

 feature, and a conclusive one, is the fact that invari 

 ably the female is suckling her young at this period, 

 and sustains the bruises in desperately defending her 

 litter. 



It is astonishing how cunning, wise and faithful 

 an old lioness is. She seldom leaves her kittens. 

 From the time they are six weeks old she takes them 

 out to train them for the battles of life, and the 

 struggle continues from birth to death. A lion 

 hardly ever dies naturally. As soon as night 

 descends, the lioness stealthily stalks forth, and 

 because of her little ones, takes very short steps. 

 The cubs follow, stepping in their mother s tracks. 

 When she crouches for game, each little lion crouches 

 also, and each one remains perfectly still until she 

 springs, or signals them to come. If she secures the 

 prey, they all gorge themselves. After the feast the 

 mother takes her back trail, stepping in the tracks 



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