THE LION 33 



which is likewise the time at which they are most fre- 

 quently heard, the sound undoubtedly carries a very 

 long distance. I remember going after some lions from 

 a camp where I had been sleeping, and which was five miles 

 from home. The animals were roaring in unison a mile 

 away on the opposite side of camp from the station, 

 but the people there told me, on my return, that they 

 had heard them distinctly. It is often very hard indeed 

 to gauge how far a lion may be distant, from the sound of 

 his voice. Often an animal which is believed to be quite 

 close, in reality is several miles distant ; while it happens 

 now and then that a faint sigh or grunt, which seems 

 to come from far away, actually proceeds from one which 

 is close at hand. 



Lions, of course, do not roar, or, in fact, make any 

 sound at all when working up to game. No mice could 

 be more silent than they are when thus employed. But 

 when the conditions of the chase appear to demand 

 that the quarry shall be stampeded or driven in a required 

 direction, to a spot, for instance, where other members 

 of the troop may be lying in wait, a very great deal of 

 noise is sometimes made. Two lionesses once tried to 

 stampede my trek oxen out of camp in the middle of the 

 night. They were afraid to come very near, as the natives 

 were awake, and the dogs barking. Therefore, while one 

 made a circuit of the camp and lay near the path on the 

 down wind side in perfect silence, the other, letting the 

 oxen get her scent, roared loudly and continuously for 

 a long time. In general lions roar after killing, perhaps 

 to summon other members of the troop which may have 

 gone in some other direction. In going to and returning 

 from water they are generally noisy while especially 

 where unused to being disturbed they frequently 

 (perhaps usually) utter a few grunts and an occasional 



BOOK i c 



