OF WILD ANIMALS 



245 



nately it did not quite end in a tragedy. This is what hap- 

 pened : 



Col. Patterson and his staff decided to try to catch the 

 boldest of the lions in a trap baited with a living man. Accord- 

 ingly a two-room trap was built, one room to hold and protect 

 the man-bait, the other to catch and hold the lion. A very 

 courageous native consented to be "it," and he was put in place 

 and fastened up. 



The lion came on schedule time, he found the live bait, 

 boldly entered the trap to seize it, and the dropping door fell 

 as advertised. When the lion found himself caught, did his 

 capture trouble him? Not in the least. Instead of starting 

 in to tear his way out he decided to postpone his escape until 

 he had torn down the partition and eaten the man! So at the 

 partition he went, with teeth and claws. 



In mortal terror the live bait yelled for succor. In "the 

 last analysis" the man was saved from the lion, but the lion 

 joyously tore his way out and escaped without a scratch. So 

 far from being daunted by this divertisement he continued 

 his man-killing industry, quite as usual. 



Now, the salient points of the man-eaters of Tsavo consist 

 of the unquenchable courage of the two lions, and their per- 

 sistent defiance of white men armed with rifles. I am sure that 

 there is nowhere in existence another record of wild-animal 

 courage equal to this, and the truthfulness of it is quite 

 beyond question. 



The annals of African travel and exploration contain in- 

 stances innumerable of the unparalleled courage of the lion in 

 taking what he wants when he wants it. 



The Grizzly Bear's Courage. As a subject, this is a 

 hazardous risk, because so many men are able to tell all about 

 it. Judging from reliable records of the ways and means of 

 the grizzly bear, I think we must award the second prize for 

 courage to "Old Ephraim." The list of his exploits in scaring 

 pioneers, in attacking hunters, in robbing camps, and finally in 



