246 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



still at the carcase, and although it may turn out to be only a 

 hyaena or a lot of jackals, it is always advisable to go up and 

 have a look on the chance of there being lions. I was myself 

 attracted by vultures to three out of the four lions which I killed, 

 and on other occasions when I was less successful vultures were 

 my guides. Sitting up at night near a water-hole, provided 

 there is no other water nearer than 8 or 10 miles, might be 

 well worth trying, also sitting up a tree near a bullock or 

 donkey tied up as a bait ; but as I have never tried either way 

 I cannot speak from experience. For lions I prefer a hollow 

 Express bullet with copper tube, as they are soft beasts, and the 

 smashing power and shock to the system of a bullet that flies 

 to pieces, inside a beast is tremendous. The bullet should, how- 

 ever, be much longer and heavier, with longer solid base, than 

 Eley's ordinary Express bullet, which often flies to pieces before 

 it can penetrate to the vitals of even a soft beast like a lion, as 

 I have found to my cost on more than one occasion. 



In support of my contention that the lion of East Africa is 

 by no means plucky or savage when wounded, I will give two 

 examples. On both occasions I was attracted to the lions by vul- 

 tures. On the first I found that a lion and lioness had killed a 

 zebra in the open, and had dragged it into a large belt of dense 

 bush. Leaving the men outside, and being closely followed by 

 two gun-bearers, I got within 15 yards of the lions before I 

 could make out the form of the dead zebra in the dark shade, 

 but could see no lions. The lioness, which had been lying 

 down behind the kill, at that moment stood up, but as I only 

 saw a small patch of tawny colour through the dense foliage, 

 I could not tell whether it was a lion or lioness, still less 

 whether it was a chest, shoulder, or hind-quarter in the gloom. 

 As, however, the lions were evidently aware of my presence, there 

 was no time to be lost, so, kneeling down, I took a deliberate 

 shot at the tawny patch. The result was fairly satisfactory, 

 though decidedly alarming, as she for it was the lioness 

 reared up on her hind legs with a terrific roar, fell backwards, 

 and disappeared from view behind the carcase of the zebra. 



