LIONS AGAIN 



Here, as can be seen, is a great source of danger to 

 a flurried or nervous beginner. He does not want 

 that lion to get an inch nearer; he fires at too long a 

 range, misses, and is killed or mauled before he can 

 reload. This happened precisely so to two young 

 friends of MacMillan. They were armed with 

 double-rifles, let them off hastily as the beast start- 

 led at them from two hundred yards, and never got 

 another chance. If they had possessed the expe- 

 rience to have waited until the lion had come within 

 fifty yards they would have had the almost certainty 

 of four barrels at close range. Though I have seen 

 a lion missed clean well inside those limits. 



From such performances are so-called lion acci- 

 dents built. During my stay in Africa I heard of 

 six white men being killed by lions, and a number of 

 others mauled. As far as possible I tried to deter- 

 mine the facts of each case. In every instance the 

 trouble followed either foolishness or loss of nerve. 

 I believe I should be quite safe in saying that from 

 identically the same circumstances any of the good 

 lion men Tarleton, Lord Delamere, the Hills, and 

 others would have extricated themselves unharmed. 



This does not mean that accidents may not hap- 

 pen. Rifles jam, but generally because of flurried 

 manipulation! One may unexpectedly meet the 

 lion at too close quarters; a foot may slip, or a cart- 



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