WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



" I examined the brute," Jack said, " and as true 

 as I am sitting here I took over thirty bullets from his 

 carcase, nearly all fired into him by natives who had 

 tried to kill him when he raided their plantations." 



There were great rejoicings among the natives at the 

 death of their old and deadly enemy, for the good news 

 spread through the region in the twinkling of an eye. 



Outram then related an experience he had when 

 he Uterally walked into a den of lions in a dried-up 

 river-bed. He and his gun-bearer were looking for 

 signs of lion, and found — what hunters have often found 

 — more than they wanted. Outram heard a growl 

 behind him, and turned, to see within six yards of them 

 two Uons under an overhanging bush. On the other 

 side were two more and at the back of him another. 

 He had certainly found lions. 



He started to go up the bank to escape, when the 

 tree root he had hold of broke away, and he rolled 

 on the branch above the two lions. Fortunately, they 

 only snarled, and he got out without being attacked. 

 The vagaries of the lion are extraordinary. 



Ryan talked of elephants. He told us that on one 

 occasion, whilst going along a track in dense bush, 

 he suddenly came upon a circular clearing about twelve 

 to fifteen yards in diameter. When he got inside he 

 stepped to the left and examined the place in some 

 astonishment. Whilst he was doing this an elephant 

 walked in quietly and began to walk round the 



226 



