282 LARGE GAME. chap. v. 



stated by the reviewer in Land and Water, confines him- 

 self to the open as far as possible, never approaches 

 within springing distance of a thicket, and rarely, unless 

 when going to water, gives the lion a chance. Buffalo, on 

 the other hand, are nearly always in and close to cover, 

 presenting continual opportunities for a successful stalk ; 

 and though the danger in attacking them is much greater, 

 as is proved by the by no means rare instances of lions 

 being maimed, and even killed, in such contests, yet for 

 the above reason they form their chief food. It is said 

 lions will go an immense distance to the carcase of a 

 rhinoceros ; and a half-mad hunter of mine, who also had 

 a mania for its flesh, and used to go and camp alone by 

 the dead body when one happened to be killed, and was 

 indeed currently reported to get inside and sleep there, 

 often told me that he had seen eight and ten tearing at it 

 at one time. 



They are by no means too proud, as I have said, to 

 eat game killed by other people, particularly when killed 

 so late in the day that it cannot be broken up ; and even 

 when the hunters are sleeping by it they will come almost 

 within the glare of the fire, and tear and crunch away, 

 taking no notice of shots or stones, but an occasional 

 growl, unless hit, when they are pretty certain to make 

 one spring into the centre of the camp and do all the 

 mischief they can. 



Apropos of this, I remember hearing of a very plucky 

 thing done by a native hunter of a friend of mine. He 

 had killed a buffalo and was sleeping out by it alone, and 

 during the night he heard a crunching going on that only 

 a lion's powerful jaw could produce. He got up, and by 



