THE LION'S DREAD OP A RUSE. 83 



well a\varc, and make their attacks accordingly. 



" I don't know whether it is allowable for me to 

 assume," Delegorgue goes on to remark, " that the 

 lion is really taken somewhat aback by a man thus 

 suddenly altering his position, or concealing him- 

 self, but this I can say, that on many occasions I 

 have adopted the expedients named, and in no one 

 instance has the beast remained on the spot. More- 

 over, when I have unwittingly kneeled down to 

 avoid the branches of trees that intercepted my 

 view of the lion, couched at only a few paces dis- 

 tance, that I might take a better aim, I have 

 always seen him seized with an irresistable panic ; 

 and independently of the instances to the like effect 

 that have come under my personal notice, thousands 

 of facts of a similar kind have been related to me by 

 chasseur* older and more experienced than myself." 



"Again, on one occasion," said my friend, 

 Frederick Green, "a lion sprung at a woman who had 

 run away from an exasperated husband's blows and 

 threats, and had lain down beside a small bush, lie, 

 however, fell short of his mark, and seeing she did 

 not move, from dread no doubt, the coward, from fear 

 of a ruse probably, dared not attack her, but kept 

 walking round and round the poor creature, now 

 utterly paralysed with fright. This he continued 

 to do for a long time ; but at last, finding that his 

 intended victim remained motionless, he took him- 

 self off. Had the woman in this ease attempted to 

 stir," my friend went on to say, " there cannot be 

 the slightest doubt her fate would instantly have 

 been sealed. Indeed it is pretty well known that 



