THE FLESH-EATERS 27 



several men with rifles assisting in the business, and 

 a volley being fired when the animal is encountered. 

 Very few South - African Dutch, in spite of their 

 undoubted qualifications as hunters and fine shots, 

 care to tackle the lion single-handed, after the 

 manner of Oswell, Vardon, Gordon-Cumming, Bald- 

 win, Selous, and many another sportsman of British 

 blood. Hunting the lion on foot is, in spite of the 

 attempts that have been made at various times to 

 impeach the courage of this animal, one of the most 

 dangerous pastimes in the world, and only the man 

 who is assured alike of his shooting capacity and his 

 nerve may be advised to attempt it. With a pack 

 of mongrel dogs, which are often used in South 

 Africa, the danger is much lessened, as the attention 

 of the lion is distracted, and the sportsman has a 

 much better chance of a steady shot. In South 

 Africa, as has been remarked, horses are commonly 

 used for all kinds of hunting, right away to the 

 Zambesi. But the sportsman seldom shoots from 

 his horse, unless perhaps when running giraffe or 

 eland or close up to a big target, such as an elephant. 

 The shot is more likely to be accurate when on foot, 

 and in nearly all cases the hunter dismounts to take 

 his aim. For a short distance, it should be remem- 

 bered, a lion will run as fast as a horse can gallop, 

 and even mounted men have had many a narrow 

 escape from these beasts. Mr. W. C. Baldwin, the 

 last of the great English hunters of the 'fifties, 

 who died only last year, was once thus chased 

 by a lion in the northern part of Khama's (then 



