OFF FOR THE SOTIK DISTRICT. 329 



guardianship of the kraal and its dogs. Unarmed, man is weaker 

 of limb, slower of foot, and less vigilant of senses than any of the 

 wild animals, and therefore is a victim that can be slain without 

 much trouble. 



It is said that the taste for human flesh is often engendered by 

 the thoughtless conduct of the very people who suffer from the 

 " man-eaters." The Kaffirs are apt to leave their slain exposed in 

 the bush, " a prey to dogs and all kinds of birds." 



THE LION BECOMES A MAN-EATER. 



The lion who passes near the spot where a dead Kaffir lies, is 

 mightily pleased with the opportunity of obtaining a dinner on such 

 charmingly easy terms; and being master of the situation, drives 

 away hyenas, jackals, and vultures, until he has satisfied his lordly 

 appetite. Having satiated himself, he retires to rest, and on awak- 

 ing, repairs again to the site of his banquet in hope of making 

 another such meal. He finds nothing but the fragments of bones, 

 for the jackals and vultures have long ago consumed every morsel 

 of flesh, and the hyenas have eaten the greater part of the bones. 

 From that moment the lion becomes a man-eater and is a scourge 

 to the neighborhood. It beseemeth the ^\hole armed population to 

 rise and destroy this pest; for as long as the man-eater lives he will 

 pay constant visits to the villages, and night after night, or even day 

 after day, so great is his audacity, will he carry off his victims. 



It is worthy of notice, that in all parts of the world where the 

 larger felid?e live, certain individuals seem to isolate themselves 

 from their kind by this propensity, and distinguish themselves for 

 their predilection for human flesh. 



As a general rule, the lion is no open foe. He does not come 

 boldly out on the plain and give chase to his prey, for he is by no 

 means swift of foot, and, as has already been mentioned, has no 

 idea of running into danger without adequate cause. He can make 

 tremendous leaps, and with a single blow from his terrible paw 

 can crush any of the smaller animals. So he creeps towards his 

 intended prey, availing himself of every bush and tree as a cover, 

 always taking care to advance against the wind, so that the pungent 



