go Wild Life in Central Africa. 



the opposite effect of shattering his nerve and making him 

 shoot badly. 



Some men feel more excitement before they see the 

 animal they are following than they do when they get to 

 close quarters, as they then quieten down and act coolly, 

 and forget all about the excitement in the effort to put a 

 good shot in and end the matter. This is the way with 

 myself ; and although I have hardly had any experience 

 with lions or leopards, I have shot a few elephant, rhino, and 

 buffalo, and I find I am much more excited when tracking 

 one of these creatures than I am when I get close enough 

 for my shot. Personally, I have had much more narrow 

 escapes from snakes than I have had from any wild animal, 

 and not long ago I was nearly struck by lightning, which 

 raised a small cloud of steam from the wet earth not very 

 far from where I was standing. Although I felt a slight 

 tingling sensation in my feet and hands, I did not feel 

 excited in any way, probably because I knew r the danger 

 was over when the flash had reached the ground. 



Doubtless some men retain an even temperament from 

 start to finish, and it is beyond them to feel excitement in 

 any way, as they probably were born with little sensitiveness 

 in body or mind. 



Most of us have heard of the famous general who was a 

 proud possessor of the Victoria Cross, which he won in the 

 Indian Mutiny. He passed through dreadful scenes of 

 human slaughter, and yet he admitted that he sometimes 

 fainted at the sight of a cut finger or a spot or two of blood. 

 Yet his mental strength subordinated his actions, so that he 

 could face the thing his instinct loathed. So it is with all 

 risks, and if a man possesses a strong enough mind he can 

 subdue all sense of fear. Of course, when a thing is done 

 many times, the mind and body become accustomed to the 

 matter. 



Some boys may be afraid to sleep in the dark, and yet 

 may accustom themselves to do so ; and many girls may be 

 in a terror when they see a mouse or a rat, and get over it 

 if they have to live where such vermin are plentiful. 



