WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



Several times I came across cases of this. In one 

 instance a youngster, raw to the country, who was 

 using another man's bed discovered a puff-adder 

 asleep there. The shock was a severe one — it must 

 have been, for instead of killing the creature with a 

 sjambok, he picked up a shot-gun. Certainly he 

 finished the snake, but incidentally he blew a hole 

 through all the blankets and the mattress, besides 

 setting the sheets on fire. The owner of the bed was 

 quite rude when he returned a few days later. 



A story which one hears constantly — and there 

 seems no reason to doubt its truth — is that when the 

 puff-adder is lying straight out, with his tail towards 

 you, he is able to throw himself backwards at you 

 and strike you whilst he is in mid-air ; whereas if his 

 head is towards you he is far less dangerous. 



As a rule a full-grown puff-adder is some three 

 feet long and two and a half to three inches in diameter 

 — a hideous, bloated abomination. 



The story of my quest of lions at Harold Hill's 

 place is one which I am not likely to forget. 



I had returned to Nairobi after a long trip, and 

 was m the Boma Trading Company's Stores refitting, 

 when I was fortunate enough to run across an old 

 acquaintance, Mr. Harold Hill, a man who knew the 

 country well, and knew, too, the ways of the wild 

 animals there. We began naturally enough to talk 



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