MY FIRST LION 93 
back track. These had warned their fellows in time, and 
into the grass the whole lot plunged. 
One advantage the hunter has in such cover. It is the 
easiest cover possible to track lionsin. I had never been told 
this, never indeed had read it or heard it, but anyone could 
follow the trail that the band left, and at a half run we went 
after them. This sounds far more dangerous than it 
really was. A lioness will sometimes charge when she has 
cubs with her. A young Englishman went home seriously 
crippled, I fear, from Nairobi a few days ago, who was 
mauled by an unwounded lioness. 
He and some others had been looking for her. None 
of them knew of the cubs, and having hunted long in vain, 
gave her up and turned home. On the way he almost 
stepped on her, and she had him down in an instant. But 
usually there is very little danger in following lions into 
grass or swamp unless one is wounded, and I am inclined to 
think, though I have only my own limited experience to fall 
back on for proof of my theory, that large bands of lions are 
not as dangerous as lions in two or threes. Anyway we 
followed them in, and presently got somehow right among 
them. I did my best to see something to shoot at, but wav- 
ing grass or a quickly moving bit of fawny fur, offered no 
mark in such cover. I made up my mind at the beginning 
of my sefari life that I never, never, would shoot at danger- 
ous game until I knew exactly where I was shooting. I am 
very sure the rule is a good one, and much trouble would be 
avoided if every man going after dangerous game, and hay- 
ing his men’s lives on his conscience, to say nothing of his 
own, strictly adhered to it. ‘There were lions on each side 
of us, and the grass waving in front showed that there were 
more ahead. “They growled now and then all around, but 
not one of us could locate the sound. ‘Try as I would I could 
get no shot. I think I made a mistake here, moved thereto 
by the entreaties of Dooda who was rather nervous. Both 
