THE STORY OF AN OUTING 



into two V's, with the apex pointing to Kirkwood and 

 myself; evidently the negroes were not anxious to find a 

 Jion. We careTuTty~coVered the groLmdTbut her majesty 

 had made good her escape. Instead of turning at bay 

 with the others, she turned -away, which was good judg- 

 ment from her standpoint, however disappointing to 

 me.) The lions measured respectively from tip of nose 

 tip of tail, nine feet six inches and nine feet nine 



jhe^r 



The lion belongs to the cat family and stalks game 

 much the same as our domestic cat; the swish of the 

 tail is the same. When confronting danger a lion does 

 not lash his sides, but he does swish his tail vigorously, 

 elevated at a slight angle until about to charge, when his 

 tail, straight behind, becomes rigid, save the brush, 

 which is all a-tremor. 



The lion has a clavicle, or collar-bone, the same as a 

 man, and is, I believe, the only beast that possesses 

 this human characteristic. He is able to handle his 

 fore-legs with the same mobility and flexibility that a 

 man has in his arms. A horse or moose in fighting 

 strikes with his fore-legs, but the only motion possible to 

 them is a rotary motion parallel with the line of their 

 body, hence any blow delivered must be forward and 

 downward. A lion can deliver a "side swipe" as well as 

 a man, and for all I know may be a past-master in the 

 "upper-cut" blow so effective in pugilism. 



The possession of this clavicle and consequent com- 

 mand of his fore-legs adds greatly to his efficiency as a 

 fighting force. 



Well, I had two lions and had got them in the most 

 approved manner. I did not shoot them at a kill from 



68 



