HUNTING IN AFRICA a5 
glade. The obliging beast waited to let him get off his 
riding animal, but when he stopped to take out “‘the 
solids” (bullets covered with nickel used usually for rhino, 
elephant, and wrongly for buffalo) and substitute ‘“‘soft- 
nose” (the ordinary expanding bullet for soft-skinned 
game) he lost an easy lion, and it served him right. 
If you can carry your own gun do so. No matter how 
quick your gunbearer is or how well trained, and there 
is much in training him, no matter how steady, no matter 
how well he knows you or obeys your orders, appreciable 
time is lost and many a chance thrown away in taking 
your rifle from his hands. If you have a professional 
hunter, do not let him march in front, as they all like to do. 
When there is no trail, or the country is unusually difficult 
it may be necessary. But usually it is not necessary at 
all, specially if you have had any previous experience in 
hunting. Use his eyes, they are apt to be better than yours, 
use his judgment of the relative size of heads, it is sure to 
be better. But do not let him go in front. It is the front 
rank man who gets the chance. In the pause and the 
movement of passing, fatal notice is given to wary game. 
If the beast is looking at you, don’t crawl for an ant 
hill or dodge behind a bush. ‘Take your shot at once, 
miss or kill. 
A lion or leopard seldom will let you change your 
position once he sees you, without rapidly changing his. 
Of course, if you are still unseen you can be, and ought 
to be, as deliberate as you choose. The duffer hurries 
when there is no occasion to hurry, and fumbles and 
hesitates when the chance is an instantaneous one or no 
chance at all. 
With the young beast, even if you have missed, reload 
quickly and look out for another shot, lion will often give 
it you, but be careful once he is wounded. A young three- 
quarters grown lion has mauled many a man. 
