xvi THE LION 207 



The most instructive piece of information I have 

 been able to obtain concerning the power of the 

 lion's paw to inflict a blow was furnished to me by 

 Mr. Glazebrook. 



Lions are sometimes shot at night by what may be 

 called the boma method. It is carried out in the 

 following manner : 



A boma capable of containing three men, the hunter 

 and two boys, is made of thorn trees. A donkey is 

 hobbled close to the boma ; the hobbling consists in 

 binding the hind-legs together by means of a rope ; 

 the fore -legs are also tied together and the loose ends of 

 rope are buried in a hole in the ground and made secure, 

 so that the donkey cannot move and no rope is visible. 

 A hole made in the thorn fence enables the hunter inside 

 to command with his rifle the area occupied by the 

 donkey. The men watch in turn ; if anything is heard 

 it is communicated to the hunter by pinching his foot,, 

 snoring and whispering are inadmissible. 



This manoeuvre is best carried out on a dark night. 

 The lion and all marauding mammals hate the moon. 

 The earth's satellite must upset the calculations of 

 hungry carnivora ; they have no nautical almanac to 

 inform them of its rising and setting. 



On this occasion the hunter, after peering through 

 the hole in the boma for two hours, fell asleep : the 

 gun-bearer awakened him by pinching his foot, and he 

 became aware of something moving on the ground 

 rapidly, and this movement was followed by a tre- 

 mendous crash. He could dimly discern a huge form 

 standing over another form lying on the ground. He 

 fired his heavy rifle at the dark object : this was 

 followed by a heavy fall. On peering through the hole 

 he could make out the donkey standing up. 



At dawn, the lion was lying close up to the wall of 

 the boma, dead. The bullet had entered its head. 

 The donkey appeared to be uninjured, except for a few 

 claw marks about its ears ; it was released from its 



