80 THE LION OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



two of these animals, whose deaths were instan- 

 taneous. 



He had broken their spines. 



Whence comes this difference ? 



Doubtless from the fear which man inspires, and the 

 natural prudence of the lion, which makes him always 

 suspect some trap on the part of man, especially of 

 a white man, even when he has him in his clutches. 



All Africans are agreed as to the distinction which 

 the South African lion establishes between the white 

 man and the negro. 



" One morning," relates Mr. Moffatt " after having 

 passed the night at the door of the cabin in which 

 slept the principal man of the village and his wife, I 

 told them that I had heard something moving on the 

 other side of the hawthorn hedge, under the shade 

 of which I had been sleeping; and I concluded that 

 some of the cattle had broken loose during the night. 

 'No/ replied my host, 'I have seen the trail this 

 morning it was the lion.' And he added that some 

 nights previously this lion had broken through the . 

 hedge at the very place where I had been sleeping, and 

 had seized a goat, which he carried off through the 

 other side of the enclosure. Then he showed the 

 remains of a mat, which he had taken from his cabin, 

 and burnt to frighten the animal. 



" I asked him how it happened that he had arranged 



