280 AFRICA SPEAKS 



this scene, discovered that the spare tire was missing; 

 also that the row of Mobiloil cans, which we carried 

 on the running board, had gaps in it. 



After a few thrills and some maneuvering, we 

 climbed into the truck and from this vantage point 

 found that these curious and playful animals had 

 taken the tire a few yards away into the grass and 

 were having a great time. It was a sturdy General 

 Cord, so we had Httle fear of any damage to the tire, 

 but the question arose of how to recover it. Nobody 

 volunteered to take it away from the lions, and all 

 of our shouting and horn tooting from a distance had 

 no effect. They were having a glorious time with 

 this new plaything and did not intend to give it up, 

 so we contented ourselves with making a few photo- 

 graphs, also securing a very cute motion-picture 

 scene, which was later used in the completed film, 

 "Africa Speaks." 



As they didn't seem inclined to leave the tire, we 

 went in search of the Mobiloil cans, finding them 

 scattered within a radius of a few hundred feet of the 

 truck. Taking up a station near two of these tins, I 

 waited to see what would happen. After a while two 

 lions abandoned the tire and came over to sharpen 

 their teeth on the cans, puncturing these containers 

 full of holes, allowing the oil to run out. I did some fast 

 work with the graflex and movie cameras, obtaining a 

 few unique pictures and scenes while this was going on. 



This experience convinced us that hons have a 

 many-sided personality. We knew one phase of their 

 nature — that of the cruel killer, the flesh eater, the 

 blood drinker; the powerful cat that strikes down the 

 giant antelope with one mighty paw. We had wit- 



