THE AFRICAN HUNTING DOG 115 



be the resultant scattering of the game than any personal 

 fear. What may, and probably does, happen is that 

 single lions, past their prime and leading a solitary 

 existence, become, now and then, the quarry of a pack 

 hard pressed by hunger. On finding himself thus pursued 

 the lion would probably do his best to escape ; but, 

 when eventually brought to bay, I think he would have 

 little difficulty in routing his assailants, unless they 

 were very numerous, or he very old and weak. Judging 

 by the difficulty which more than a dozen of them found 

 in overcoming a hyaena, it seems likely that they would 

 fare badly in attacking a lion, even were there three or 

 four times as many present. On the other hand, lions 

 not infrequently kill and eat Hunting Dogs. The latter 

 are said seldom to attack full-grown male warthogs and 

 bushpigs, but prey on the females and immature animals. 



Although Hunting Dogs are expert swimmers, they 

 more often than not decline to cross deep water, even 

 when hot on the heels of their quarry. This unwillingness 

 is, no doubt, due to fear of crocodiles, and hunted ante- 

 lopes seem to know it well and to take advantage of it. 

 During the dry season, when the buck are collected near 

 the Sabi, they invariably make for the river if pursued, 

 and every winter there are numerous cases of impalas 

 being chased into the compound of the station, or across 

 the river. The pack almost always relinquishes the 

 pursuit as soon as its quarry has plunged into deep water. 



I once had a very good view of a chase from the 

 veranda of the blockhouse. An impala ram came down 

 the opposite bank of the river, followed, at a distance 

 of about fifty yards, by seven or eight dogs. As soon as 

 the latter saw the glint of the water, they increased their 

 pace, and had drawn up very close to their intended 

 victim when he reached the river. The impala swam 



