CHAPTER III 

 LION HUNTING ON THE KAPITI PLAINS 



THE dangerous game of Africa are the lion, buffalo, 

 elephant, rhinoceros, and leopard. The hunter who fol- 

 lows 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 size always renders 

 it likely that he will merely maul, and not kill, a man. 

 My friend, Carl Akeley, 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 Akeley 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 for- 

 ward with it and crushed in its chest with his knees until 

 he distinctly felt one of its ribs crack; this, said Akeley, 

 was the first moment when he felt he might conquer. Re- 

 doubling his efforts, with knees and hand, he actually 

 choked and crushed the life out of it, although his arm was 

 badly bitten. A leopard will charge at least as readily as 



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