294 LION-HUNTING AND LIONS 



move away, keeping his head turned over his shoulder. 

 When he had got to a little distance he would break into 

 a trot, and finally, when he thought no one saw hirn, 

 and he had no character to keep up, he bounded away 

 as fast as he could. Indeed, the missionary positively 

 declares that a man runs aniuch greater risk in crossing 

 a London street than he is ever likely to do from the 

 king of beasts — unless, of course, he is being hunted. 



Besides, no young lion will look at a maii as long as 

 he can get any other food. It is only when he is old 

 and loses his teeth that he gives up hunting wild game, 

 and, driven by hunger, ventures down to the villages .to 

 catch goats, mice, or any stray man that may happen to 

 be about. The village people know this 'so well, that 

 when goats are found missing from the herd they will 

 shake their heads, and say to each other, ' His teeth are 

 worn, he will soon kill men,' and set about arranging a 

 hunt immediately. 



Lions generally attack their prey by leaping on to its 

 flank from behind, though they will sometimes fly at the 

 throat. A friend of Livingstone's tells a story of a sight 

 he saw on the banks of Limpopo river, when on a hunting 

 expedition in the year 1846. He was riding along with 

 another man in search of game, when a fine water-buck 

 jumped up from the reeds in front. The Englishman 

 dismounted, in order to follow it, and by doing so dis- 

 turbed three large buffaloes, which stood and looked at 

 the strange white thing they had never seen before. A 

 ball in the shoulder of one awoke them from their stupor, 

 and they galloped away, closely pursued by the hunters. 

 Suddenly three huge lions sprang on the back of the 

 wounded buffalo and dragged him to the ground. The 

 two Englishmen crept softly up till they were within 

 thirty yards of the group, when they knelt down and 

 fired from their single-barrelled rifles. One lion turned, 

 seized a small bush between his teeth, and fell dead right 

 on top of the buffalo ; another bounded off as fast as he 



