36 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



know of in recent years occurred during the war, at 

 Sabi Bridge. A picket of an irregular mounted corps 

 had just arrived to take up permanent quarters and were 

 bivouacking in the open round a fire. One of their number 

 (Smart by name) was on sentry duty, and had apparently 

 gone a few paces away from the fire when a lion sprang 

 on him and carried him off. His cries aroused his comrades, 

 who, seizing their rifles, fired a volley in the direction of 

 the sounds, causing the lion to drop the man and make 

 off for the time being. Though uninjured by the bullets, 

 Smart died a few days later from the wounds inflicted 

 by the lion. Undeterred by its reception, the animal 

 returned some hours afterwards, this time visiting the 

 natives' fire, and succeeded in abstracting one of the 

 sleeping forms without arousing anybody. Luck being 

 with it, it got the victim safely away and ate him. It is 

 satisfactory to relate that this dangerous brute was killed 

 a few weeks subsequently by the well-known hunter, Mr. 

 Francis, who at that time was serving with the corps in 

 question. 



Man-eating lions in Africa do not seem so often old and 

 worn-out as tigers pursuing this means of earning a liveli- 

 hood are said to be in India. The lion mentioned above 

 was a fine black-maned beast in the prime of life, and 

 the notorious man-eaters of Tsavo were both in the full 

 flush of health and strength. Nevertheless, lions killed 

 while making night attacks on native goats have fre- 

 quently been found very old and almost toothless, and 

 these, no doubt, would have become man-eaters, given 

 the opportunity. In the story I am about to relate, 

 although one of the lions was certainly old, he was, 

 nevertheless, possessed of full vigour, while his companion 

 was quite a young animal, so far as could be judged. 

 This incident has been recorded before, but is so very 



